Cursed Reflections
by Maresia Eterna
Summary: (ON HOLD) They were outcasts, marked by society, their lives determined before their birth. Now, together, they are going to face the biggest challenge of all to face the world, beat it, and live to tell the story.[Naruto/Hinata, Gaara/OC, Kakashi/OC, Sakura/Sasuke]
1. Prologue

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Disclaimer:

Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

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A quick information about this fic:

**Rating:** T

**Genres:** Romance, Angst, Drama, Humour  
**Warnings:** Language  
_**Main **__**Pairings:**_ Naruto/Hinata, Gaara/OC, Kakashi/OC

**Romantic Hints:** Shikamaru/OC, Lee/Sakura/Sasuke  
**Summary:** They were outcasts, marked by society, their lives determined before their birth. Now, together, they are going to face the biggest challenge of all; to face the world, beat it, and live to tell the story.pairings inside

**Timeline of this Fic:** Okay, after thinking a lot about all this, I finally figured out _where_ to put this fic during the anime. Alright, so this is how it goes. This happens one year after Naruto and Jiraiya's return to Konohagakure (so, it's the three years of the anime _plus_ another one). Sasuke _**left**_ to go meet with Orochimaru, but the plot starts right at the end of the year _I_ added. Akatsuki exists, and _will_ show up eventually, but Gaara _**is**_ _**still**_ the container of Shukaku. For any more information, feel free to contact me.

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**ATTENTION:** _**English**_ is my _**second**_ language, so please forgive me the mistakes. I'll do my best to correct them, but please, be kind about those. Thank you.

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**Cursed Reflections**

_**Prologue**_

That was going to be another forlorn night. The light of the moon no longer seemed to held its mystery…now there was only loneliness, depression and nostalgia in the silver rays. The stars offered no comfort while the bitter wind worked as a reminder of all the painful memories of a past that was still excruciatingly close to the present.

Two figures were wandering through a deserted path in the middle of nowhere. Trees surrounded them, branches that had once been naked were slowly being warmed up by new leaves. No animal dared to break the silence of the shadows, so the only melody of that night belonged to the figures' footsteps.

A pair of sapphire-blue eyes were locked with the stars, a hitai-ate protecting the boy's forehead. The cold breeze was dancing with his spiky blond locks as the boy continued walking at a steady pace. Slowly he rose a hand, and scratched his right cheek right where three black and thin lines were. On his left cheek were three other identical lines that made it seem as if the boy had whiskers.

"I think it's better to rest for the night." the boy spoke up without taking his eyes of the sky. "The stars look beautiful tonight."

Silently, a pair of cyan orbs turned to the boy, who finally looked back at his companion. The wind was also playing with his carmine spiky hair, but it was also kissing the tattoo he had on his forehead…the kanji word for love.

"Hai." was all that the other boy said in reply at same time he nodded shortly.

Slowly, the two young adults made their way towards a tall and strong tree before settling down between the tough roots. Since it was a warm night there was no need for them to cover themselves with their coats.

With a sigh, the blond boy leaned against the tree's trunk, and gazed at the stars. A feeling of nostalgia quickly started to emerge from the depths of his soul, memories starting to fog his already troubled mind.

He could remember perfectly well the day when he was forced to leave his village; the great Konohagakure. He had been 'invited' to leave by the villagers, and all because he was not normal in their eyes. But when he left, he had decided to hold no grudge against anyone; in fact, he was looking at that wandering as a new mission…the last mission that would lead him to his greatest dream.

The only thing that saddened him was his friends. Unable to stay in Konoha, he had been forced to say goodbye. But funny enough, on the last minute, he had decided to say goodbye to only one person…and the irony was that he did not even know why he had said goodbye to _her_ of all people. Neither did he understand why his heart ached every time he thought about her.

Then, he gazed at his companion; their stories were different and yet so painfully similar. Both of them carried marks that were also their curses. Curses that they once knew how to deal with, but that now seemed to taint all their steps.

"Hey, Gaara, do you think it's time?" the blond questioned suddenly, and the cyan coloured eyes that had been staring at the dark heavens turned to him.

"Our times will come with different opportunities." the other boy started in a calm tone, his arms pressed against his chest. "But if those times are close, only the new tomorrow can tell."

"Still, I miss Konoha." the blond expressed with a tired sigh, "I miss being with my friends, I miss getting to Tsunade-basan's nerves…and lets not forget ramen!"

"Uzumaki Naruto, you're still an odd person." Gaara started in the same tone as before, and the blond chuckled before grinning. "But I believe that when you return to your village, you will become who you want to be. And then, you are going to show to the world that judging people before knowing them is a sin."

"You really think that?" Naruto questioned, and when Gaara nodded shortly, he grinned again. "Great, because I'm sure you're going to do the same, and I bet we're going to kick people's butts for messing with us!"

When no answer was given, Naruto decided to do the same as Gaara, and gaze at the stars again. One day they would return to their villages, and then they would show everyone that they had done more than what they had believed in when Uzumaki Naruto and Sabaku no Gaara were banned from their villages.

They had been banned one year ago, but something at the back of Naruto's mind kept whispering something into his ears over and over again.

"_It's time to go home."_

**To Be Continued…**

I forgot to inform you, but _my updates will come slower for some time_; I have four projects at hand, and all due next week. I hope you guys understand, but if I receive some feedback about this (way short) prologue, I'll try to post the first chapter before the weekend. Thanks for the attention!


	2. Memories of My Own

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

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I want to thank **Naruto 21**, **MissNaye**, **Friesenator**, **Terenin**, **Silvan Arrow** and **Tigerrelly** for your support. I promise I'll do my best, and forgive me for such short chapter. The next ones will be bigger! Promise!

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**Chapter 1**

_Memories of My Own_

The sunrays were everything except warm. The beauty of the sun seemed to have been swallowed by a constant depressing atmosphere, and its splendour was no longer as exquisite as before. Even the cool wind had stopped being refreshing; instead, it seemed to carry all silent confessions that were never uttered at same time it possessed the ability to kiss the features of the person that was caught in it.

She envied the wind sometimes. She envied its invisibility and yet how it was felt by everyone. She also envied it for being able to touch one person…the clothes, the hair, the skin, and offer nothing but a feeling of freedom.

She also envied the wind because it knew where _he_ was. And she had yet to find the clue that could take her to him.

Long dark-indigo streaks danced with the wind as they also caressed a pallid face. Pale lavender eyes of an unique beauty were observing the clear blue sky while the girl's fair hands were holding the chains of the swing. Her feet were, as always, pointing to each other, revealing how timid she was, but the girl's eyes were drowning in melancholy.

She missed him.

For her, he was the soul of that village. With his hyper yet explosive side he always managed to annoy people, but at same time he was the one who brought happiness to everybody's lives. Yes, despite of what the villagers thought of him, everyone just had to admit that Uzumaki Naruto knew when to shake Konohagakure and bring people out of their misery.

But at same time, Naruto had a kind side of him…perhaps a little bit too kind because his love and worry towards his friends seemed to lead him to troubles all the time.

"Hinata, sorry for being late!" a voice greeted, and the girl tore her eyes away from the sky to look to her side. A huge white dog was the first thing she saw, but then the girl's eyes slipped to the young man standing next to the animal.

Inuzuka Kiba, like everybody else, had grown up and developed into a nice looking young man. Now at the age of eighteen, Kiba had changed his long coat for a dark-brown leather one, buttoned up. He still had the red marks on his cheeks, being those the trade-mark of the Inuzuka clan. Sometimes Hinata would wonder if she should have changed her outfit too, but then she mentally shook her head; she was never going to change her blue pants and pale lavender coat for nothing.

"Kiba." Hinata greeted without standing up from the swing, and the corner of her lips curled up into a small smile. "It's alright, but I thought Shino was supposed to come with you."

"He said something about having to help his father first." the boy explained as he walked closer, the dog following him silently. "He's going to show up of course, but it may take a while."

"I guess we can start training alone, ne?" Hinata asked in her soft tone of voice, but before she could get up, Kiba rose a hand to stop her. "Anou, did something happen?"

"Nope, but I would like to talk to you for a minute." Kiba replied, and Hinata watched him sit down on the swing beside hers. "I know you would probably prefer to talk to Shino about this, but Hinata, I'm getting worried about you. And so is Akamaru…"

Suddenly the white dog appeared in front of Hinata, and after a small noise with its throat, he rested his head on the girl's lap. Still with a faint smile on her face, Hinata cuddled Akamaru's head, but she focused her attention on Kiba when he called her name again.

"Hinata, I have to ask you something, but feel free not to answer me if you prefer." Kiba started, and the girl nodded. "You have been training like crazy for the past year, and even though you know you're good, you still stay in the shadows. And I noticed that that happened ever since Naruto went away; you started training harder and yet you're still too shy to show your improvement."

"Kiba, I…"

"And then you allow your family to do whatever they want with you." Kiba continued, and Hinata looked down only to notice that Akamaru was staring at her, his head still on her lap. "And I know that if you wanted, you could beat Hanabi and Neji with no problem."

"Don't say that, Kiba, my father is very proud of Hanabi, and he has reasons to feel that way." Hinata started in her calm tone, her eyes locked with Akamaru's. "And the same goes for Neji-nii-san; he has worked hard to be acknowledged."

"And you haven't?" Kiba questioned with a snort, and Hinata looked at him in time to see him shaking his head.

"The reasons why I want to be acknowledged are different from theirs." Hinata calmly explained, and she found herself gazing at the sky again. "They wanted to be acknowledged by everyone, but especially by the Hyuuga clan."

"And you did it because of Naruto, is that it?" Kiba questioned suddenly, and Hinata glanced at him by the corner of her eyes before focusing her attention back to the sky again.

"No, I did it because I wanted to." she started, but a smile graced her pale features. "Naruto-kun was a reason…no, he was _the_ reason that made me chose this path, but I did it because I wanted to prove myself that I could change."

"And you want to show that to Naruto, right?" Kiba inquired, and a new breeze started playing with their hairs as a comfortable silence surrounded them.

"Naruto gave so much to this village, and yet…" a saddened expression appeared on Hinata's face, but she continued staring at the sky. "I just want to be here when he returns."

"And finally express your feelings for him, right?" Kiba asked, but Hinata just looked at him, the small smile still on her face. "Ah, c'mon Hinata, you have to tell him! Seriously, you were so heartbroken when he left…"

"Hinata. Kiba." a third voice called-out, and the two young adults looked over their shoulders only to see the third and last member of their team, standing right behind them. "I apology for the delay. Shall we start training?"

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To be a human being is the synonym of being able to commit sins. It does not matter if those sins are insignificant or noteworthy for they are still sins. And the great Konohagakure has committed the worst sin of all.

The good name of the village, the power of its armed forces, the position of the Hokage…all had been powerless to stop the rage of the villagers. A rage that had been fed by a bad judgement…an antagonism that had sprung from a wicked rumour…

But the biggest sin of all was that everyone refused to admit that they had been wrong.

Everybody kept refusing all opportunities to admit their errors.

And everyone was suffering because of it.

Unfortunately, Konohagakure had not been the only village that had committed such terrible mistake. Lead by memories of a terrible past, Sunagakure, the Hidden Village Among Sand, had also banned the only one who had the power and will to rule it wisely.

And because of the villagers' faults, not even the bright sun of that spring's afternoon seemed as intense as before…as vivid and powerful as it used to look in the previous year.

With a tired sigh, a woman whose blonde hair was pulled into two ponytails leaned against the back of her chair. Piles of documents were all over her desk, and were including on the floor, but the woman paid no notice to that.

Instead, the woman's amber eyes glanced at the document she was supposed to sign. However, instead of grabbing the pen, the woman reached out for a bottle of sake that was on the right side of the desk.

Silently, the woman rose the small bottle up to her eye-level, and stared at it. It was so easy to drink and forget…the opportunity to forget everything for some time was just one sip away…

Oh, and it was _so_ alluring…

But it was also true that forgetting was for the cowards. And it was time to prove that in that village of sinners existed people who were ready to mend their mistakes the best they could.

As she closed her eyes, the woman threw the untouchable bottle over her shoulder, directly to the open door just behind her. It was time to show that she had not been chosen as the Fifth Hokage just because of her good looks.

No, it was time to bring the exiled back to his home.

"Tsunade-sama." a voice spoke suddenly as the door of the office was opened, and the blonde woman opened her eyes again. Standing by the door was another woman with short black hair and matching eyes. "I've brought you the latest reports."

"Shizune, it's time!" the Fifth Hokage exclaimed with authority, and the other woman blinked in surprise. "Summon all the Chuunin you can. I want everyone here in less than one hour. And call for the necessary Jounin too."

"I'll take care of that immediately, but did something happen?" Shizune questioned as she walked towards the desk, and put the reports she had been holding down.

"It's time for us to stop being so irrationally proud." Tsunade started, determination growing in the depths of her eyes. "It's time to mend the mistakes that were so foolishly done one year ago."

"You mean…?"

"Yes, it's time to bring Naruto back." Tsunade finished, looking even more determined than before, and a smile graced Shizune's pale features at same time she nodded.

"Hai!"

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Finding Hope in the Desert

**Disclaimer: **Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

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I want to thank **Vld**, **Terenin**, **Silvan Arrow**, **Shadw**, **AlexiaWinters** _and_ **SGCred** for everything! You guys rock!

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**Chapter 2**

_Finding Hope in the Desert_

To be in that place once more was to remember the past again.

To be in that place, and feel the warmth of the sun and the hotness of the sand brought memories back to his mind.

Memories that were too fresh to belong to the past, but that hurt like an old wound. And yet he still welcomed that feeling, because the pain that would be triggered by such flashes made humanity spring inside of him all over again.

A humanity that had taken too long to born inside of him.

But truth was that there were also bars surrounding him.

The same bars that had closed his freedom during his childhood, and that were also stopping him from reaching out for what he truly wanted.

And all he wanted was to be free. But it seemed as if his wish was simply too idiotic to become true.

But the only person that was to be blamed was himself.

Sunagakure was his home…his life. He now knew that that was true. He lived for his village, for its people, and for his siblings. And he had struggled to show his passion towards his village, but truth was that when he finally understood the meaning of love it was too late.

And his new emotions slammed into a wall of hate and disgust.

But in spite of everything, he had been unable to pay the villagers' abhorrence with more hate. In fact, he had refused even to raise one single grain of sand against his village, and the explanation was quite simple.

The villagers' revulsion was their way of concealing their fear... The terror they felt towards the beast.

Towards what he kept inside of himself.

But he had learnt how to deal with their emotions, and thanks to his companion, he had been able to overcome their way of thinking. And now he was determined to show Sunagakure that he was a new person.

A person who was learning that there's something better than slaughters….something that he had once tried so hard to loath, but that ironically was printed right on his forehead.

He was learning to love.

"I guess we can't expect a welcoming party." Naruto spoke suddenly, and then he stared at the arid landscape, with no life or colours aside from the golden shade of the sand and the clear blue sky. "How do you think they're going to welcome us?"

"With hate." Gaara replied in his calm tone, and Naruto turned his eyes to him. "And fear."

"Ah, the usual, I see." Naruto retorted, and Gaara glanced at him by the corner of his eyes before nodding. "Though I would like to be welcomed differently this time. To watch people running around, and barricading themselves is becoming a bit tiring."

"We both knew that was what was going to happen when we were banned." Gaara commented before gazing at the horizon: miles of sand was all that existed around them, and he knew that that was not going to change soon. "Warnings were sent; we can't stop people from fearing what's unknown to them."

"That was supposed to be sarcasm, you know?" Naruto pointed out, but Gaara simply glanced at him. "Anyway, I hope we can at least stop for some ramen; last time it was rather unpleasant."

Ah yes, Gaara remembered that little episode; the Cook had passed out as soon as Naruto had dropped the hood that was supposed to cover his face during their whole time in the Land of Tea.

"There's no ramen restaurant in Sunagakure." Gaara decided to confess, but he stopped his tracks when he noticed that Naruto had frozen at his words. Then, he turned to his side. "I warned about it some days ago."

"Man, I forgot about that." Naruto muttered as he dropped his head, and Gaara blinked; he would never understand Naruto's obsession for ramen.

"Shall we continue?" Gaara questioned as he crossed his arms against his chest, and Naruto sighed before nodding.

"So, are you anxious to see Temari and Kankurou again?"

That was one of the questions Gaara always avoided. The reason was not the question itself, but the risks that involved Gaara meeting his siblings again. They had never, not even once, supported the idea of exiling him even though they had always been afraid of their younger sibling.

But just like he could not blame the villagers for their hate, Gaara hold no grudge against his siblings. Ever since they were little that they had always feared Gaara, and yet they had always stood by his side, no matter if it was because of their apprehension or because they truly cared for him. What truly mattered at the moment was the fact that Gaara wanted to grasp the opportunity to show Temari and Kankurou that being exiled had been the best thing that had ever happened to him.

To be banned from Sunagakure had not only helped Gaara to go through experiences that had helped him to become a better person, but to be banned had also helped him to make his own path…a path away from loneliness…a path that took him closer to his companion…

"…I would like to see them, yes." Gaara answered after a short silence, and Naruto grinned at him.

The question was; was it the right time to see his siblings? Was it the right time to face the whole village?

"I hope they don't mind me coming along; I just want to hear news from Konoha." Naruto continued, and Gaara glanced at him by the corner of his eyes, a blank expression on his face. "I mean…I would like to find out how Sakura-chan and everyone else is going, and how….well, how Sasuke is going."

Uchiha Sasuke.

Even though Gaara had never voiced his thoughts, he knew that Uchiha was the reason why Naruto had been banned. He never understood why Uchiha was the reason, but Gaara just knew he was. He had simply decided never to ask Naruto about it, after all, the two of them had their own unspoken secrets.

"Say, what's that?"

At the question, Gaara snapped from his thoughts, and stared at the path ahead of him only to narrow his eyes when he saw a buddle on the sand. The left side was already hidden by the sand, and despite of the brown cloth that was being caressed by the hot wind, Gaara could also make out some dark streaks dancing around.

"Is that…a person?" Naruto asked in surprise, but the two of them did not even look at each other before running towards the buddle.

As they got closer, Gaara managed to spot a small hand emerging from underneath the cloth, and a dirty face. Long cobalt coloured streaks was still dancing at the wind, the cloth hiding the person's body until Naruto reached out for the girl.

"She's just a child." Naruto commented as he turned the little girl to him, the coat still protecting her body, and he gently took the grain of sands that were on the side of her face. Then, Naruto rested two fingers against her neck. "She's alive!"

As soon as those words left Naruto's lips, a wall of sand emerged at their side, covering them from the sun. Then, with a quick movement with his risk, Gaara took water from inside his clothes, and handed it to Naruto.

In silence, Naruto managed to press the bottle against the girl's lips, and managed to make her swallow the liquid by raising her head up. Then, Naruto tore a part of her coat, and moistened the piece of cloth with water before pressing it against her forehead.

"What are we going to now?" Naruto asked as he looked up at Gaara, who had already been thinking about the same thing. "We're two days away from Sunagakure, but I doubt she'll be able to survive the trip."

However, it was also true that the two of them already knew the answer to the question; the real problem was that none of them wanted to say it out loud.

"We're one day and half away from Konohagakure, we have to go there." Gaara finally spoke up, and Naruto stared at him with widened eyes. "She needs shade and water in order to survive, which she won't if we keep wandering through the desert."

"Well, I guess there will be no need to go around the bush to hear news from Konoha, eh?"

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When she stepped inside that place, she could not help but take a deep breath, her hands clenched by her sides. She had always hated that place, so empty of life…so unfilled of emotions…so drained of everything…

By closing her eyes for a moment, she allowed herself to take a deep breath, but the tension on her muscles still did not disappear. On the contrary, it seemed to get worse. It always did…

Especially when _he_ was the cause.

When her eyelids fluttered open, her pale-green eyes stared at the door that was separating her from him. To be there had already been a challenge; in fact, she had broken a couple of rules just to get close to the building. Oh, she really did not want to know how Tsunade was going to react if she found what her student had done…

But she also knew it was too late to chicken out.

As determination slowly consumed her limbs, she pushed a pink streak away from her eyes before pushing the door open. ANBU were surrounding her, watching her like a hawk observes its prey, hoping for it to make one false move…a move that would meant its death. Of course that in her case, one false movement would be the same as being sentenced never to see him again.

Well, at least, during the time he was in that place.

When the door opened, she found herself staring at a long, dark and cold corridor. The dim light that enlightened the place came from the torches on the walls, but the flames appeared to be too lifeless even to provide some warmness.

Still with her hands clenched into strong fists, she slowly made her way through the cold corridor, her eyes never glancing to what existed on both sides of the hall. Her ears were also deaf to all the taunting words that started to emerge from the shadows as soon as she had step inside. She knew that it was in place were the most wanted criminals were kept…criminals that lived for slaughters and to drink away all life of their victims.

And for them she was just a pretty girl who was not supposed to be in such place.

For them, she was just someone they wanted to toy with.

But she cared for none of them.

Who she wanted was at the end of the corridor.

And that was all that mattered.

When she reached the cell where she knew he was in, she stopped her tracks. The dim light definitely did not help her to see what was on the back of the cell, but her eyes did notice a silhouette on the left side of that degrading place.

The silhouette she had been wanting to see for so long…

"Sasuke-kun?"

That name… Oh, so many time had passed since she had last uttered it…so many years had passed since she had last been able to whisper his name for him to hear it…

Too much time had indeed been lost.

As expected he did not even look up or even rose his head. On the contrary, he continued sitting on the corner, his left leg raised while his right one was extended on the ground. His left arm was resting on his knee while his right one was resting against his leg. His head was turned to the other side of the cell, his black eyes looking as dark as the cell he was in.

When she had first found out that he was in the village, Haruno Sakura had felt as if she was going to explode in happiness. However, when she had heard that Sasuke was being rushed to the hospital, she had stormed towards the same building.

But what she had seen there had been everything except the same boy she remembered from her childhood.

Sakura remembered perfectly how she had spotted Sasuke lying on a bed, surrounded by medical-nin, filled with wounds, scratches… She could still remember how badly he had looked like with his skin being filled with purple, red and greenish shades.

And she could still remember how tears had started to blur her vision, and how his name had escaped from her lips in the form of a scream.

For long days Sakura had stood in the hospital, always expecting for someone to come to her and say that she could see Sasuke. But instead of a permission, Sakura had only been allowed to watch Tsunade appear at the hospital, and enter in Sasuke's room only to leave moments later, an ANBU team carrying a sleeping Sasuke.

When she had seen ANBU taking Sasuke away, Sakura had tried to find explanations. She had even gone to Tsunade, and ask her why she had taken Sasuke from the hospital when he clearly needed medical attention. And the Hokage's answer had taken her by surprise.

The reason why Sasuke had been rushed to the hospital had to do with a fight against Naruto.

Apparently Naruto had found Sasuke during one his missions, and not surprisingly the two of them had fought. They had fought so hard and badly that it had ruined all their chakras reservations. But in the middle of that story was one problem.

While Sasuke had strangely appeared at the West Gate of Konoha, Naruto had been nowhere to be found.

At the time, Sakura had been mad. No, she had been _beyond_ infuriated. When she had heard that Sasuke and Naruto had fought to the point of almost killing each other, all Sakura had wanted was to punch Naruto to death for being so hasty.

But when Naruto had showed up on week later, and everyone started to blame him for Sasuke's condition, Sakura's feelings changed.

They changed not because she had seen that Naruto was also still injured from the fight, but because of what the villagers had done. When Naruto showed up, with Jiraiya, everyone had blamed him…everyone had told him that if it was not for him, Sasuke would have never left the village on the first place only to return so badly beaten.

For them, Naruto was the one to blame for Sasuke being Orochimaru's target.

Although the idea _was_ a bit mind-boggling.

"Sasuke-kun, I…" Sakura swallowed hard as she watched the young man still staring blankly to the other side of the cell, and she approached the bars, carefully enough not to trigger any of the explosive tags. "I just came here to make sure you're alright."

But no answer was given to her.

Sakura had never expected him to talk to her, but she could not help but expect at least one signal…one word, one glance… something even if insignificant that could show her that despite of everything he was alright.

That was all she wanted to know.

But as minutes continued to roll by Sakura mentally decided that she could not wait any longer. Tsunade had probably already been warned about her visit to that place, and Sakura really did not want to find any more reasons to endanger Sasuke. She still did not know what was going on, but Sakura refused to exacerbate everything even more.

"I hum…I don't know when I'll be able to come again, but I'll try to convince Tsunade-sensei to allow me to come visit you." Sakura finally spoke up, her eyes locked with her friend's quiet form, but she bite her lower lip in nervousness. "I hum…you probably already know this, Sasuke-kun, but I'm really happy to have you back. Even though you're locked in this place…"

After glancing one last time at the boy she had loved when younger, Sakura turned to her side, and silently made her way towards the only exit of that place. She knew that nothing would change if she was to visit Sasuke again; Sakura knew she would do the talking while Sasuke would stare at some random place. But what kept pulling her to that place was the fact that Sakura knew that sooner or later Sasuke was going to have to talk to her.

Even if it was just to ask her where Naruto was.

"Sakura." a voice spoke suddenly, and the girl looked down as soon as she stepped through the door that was immediately closed behind her by two ANBU. The authority Tsunade carried in her voice was enough to indicate Sakura that she was in deep trouble. "Come with me."

In confusion, Sakura looked up, but instead of meeting her master's eyes, all she saw was Tsunade's back. The Hokage had not lectured her? Something had to be deeply wrong for Tsunade to let that situation slip, but Sakura knew better than ask about what was wrong.

With a quick nod, Sakura started walking faster in order to finally reach Tsunade's side, but her eyes turned to the cold floor again. She had to find out why Sasuke was still locked up as if he was some sort of criminal, who would kill everyone in the village without a second thought.

And Sakura was also going to do her best to figure out why Tsunade had allowed the villagers to ban Naruto, when Sakura knew that the Fifth Hokage watched over Naruto as if he was her younger brother.

No, that was not right.

Sakura was going to find out why Tsunade had let go of Naruto, when she was positive that the Fifth Hokage looked at him as if he was her son.

**To Be Continued…**


	4. The Stars of Tomorrow

**Disclaimer: **Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

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I want to thank **AlexiaWinters**, **Shadw**, **Terenin**, **SGCred**, **silver** _and_ **city with no people** for all your support and help. I would be way lost without you people!

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**Chapter 3**

_The Stars of Tomorrow_

He was supposed to be at the Hokage's office, but to be in that balcony felt too good. In fact, to be in that place, with no company except for the white clouds, made him feel as if he was in some other place.

A place where no troubles could annoy him.

But at same time he knew that that was just a dream. In a place like Konohagakure, troubles would always find a way to find him, and as always he would have no place to go to in order to escape from them.

And that was really a drag.

When he was little he had dreamt about being a ninja. He had also dreamt about finding a woman who was not something out of the world in physical terms, and that did not mind being with a lazy guy like him. When he was younger he had also planned about marrying that same woman, and have two children; one girl and then one boy. He would teach the boy how to play Go and Shogi, while the girl would learn how to take care of the house with her mother. And, of course, he would die before his wife, in a peaceful manner, most likely in his sleep.

But his plans had been ruined as soon as he was appointed out as a Jounin.

And that was really troublesome.

His new rank forced him to accomplish tough missions, most of them that were too wearisome, and that pushed him out of his lazy shell. Thankfully his ability was to control shadows, which did not take much of him.

Ah, the beauty of belonging to the Nara family.

But at same time, he had to admit he enjoyed his new rank. Not that sweating and physical effort were his thing, but his new position allowed him to travel through the various countries, and meet new horizons. Not that he had time to appreciate the clouds, but at least he could escape from his troubling village for a couple of days.

And he had actually started to welcome those missions ever since _they_ had showed up in Konoha.

The first one was Temari of Sunagakure. Her job as a mediator between the two villages had forced him to watch over her, and make sure she would enjoy her sojourn in Konoha. Of course that since their personalities were exactly the opposite, they would always end up fighting each other, even though he would always be too bored to proceed with the discussion.

And then there was Fuzen Hana, Akimichi Chouji's cousin. At the beginning he had paid no attention to her, only noticing that every time the girl left there would be a strange scent of lilies hanging in the air. Not that the fragrance bothered him, but he had never understood why it had to be lilies of all the flowers in the world. Other than that, Hana was a bit too quiet for his liking, blushing when embarrassed and quivering when talking to superiors. She was a bit like Hyuuga Hinata in that aspect, although not as much, but she also carried the traits of the Akimichi clan; well, at least the physical trait. Not as much as Chouji, but still enough.

With a sigh, he crossed his arms behind his neck, and continued to watch the clouds. He should be at the office by now, but the warm breeze and the beautiful shapes of the clouds were really not helping him to leave that place.

"Shikamaru-san?"

With an arched eyebrow, he rose his head just a little bit only to return to his original position when he saw who it was. The wild yet curly brown hair had given away who the person was, and he knew there was no need to speak for her to know that it was alright to sit down.

"Ne, Shikamaru-san, aren't you going to the meeting?"

"Tsk, it must be another boring meeting that will explain what the village is going to do with Sasuke." Shikamaru replied as he closed his eyes, but he opened his left eyelid when he felt someone standing in front of him. "And what are you doing here?"

There was also something that distinguished Temari from Hana. Temari's eyes, a deep shade of teal, would reveal how tough she was, never allowing a man to raise a finger to help her. As for Hana, her eyes of such a dark brown colour that they resembled to hazel-nuts, were always filled with warmth, which masked her true feelings all the time.

Something that Chouji did too.

"But Shikamaru-san, if it was to talk about Sasuke, why would Tsunade-sama call everyone?" the girl asked as she continued to stand, her arms pressed against her chest, and Shikamaru sighed before sitting on the bench.

"Bah, I don't know, but I bet it will be troublesome." Shikamaru retorted, his arms resting on his legs, and the girl shrugged at his words. "You came here to tell me that I'm already late?"

"No, I was actually trying to find Chouji." Hana corrected with a small shake of her head, her wild hair reaching below her shoulder-blades. "I thought he had was to the restaurant your team uses to go, but I didn't find him there, so…"

"Hai, hai, Chouji knows when to disappear if that means he can eat in peace." Shikamaru spoke when the girl trailed off, and then he rested his hands on his knees. "Well, I guess I should go see what the Hokage wants this time."

"I hum…" Hana trailed off when Shikamaru stood up, and he sent her a confused look. "I was talking to Sakura before I left the hospital, and…well, she told me she was going to the gathering too, and she mentioned something about Naruto."

"Eh? Man, even when he's not around, that guy knows when to bother people." Shikamaru sighed as he dropped his head, but he looked up when he heard a soft giggle. As he watched Hana covering her mouth with her hand in order to try to hide her smile, Shikamaru felt his lips twitch until they formed a small smile. "Well, I guess I really have to go then, before Tsunade-sama decides to break something."

"Hai, and if you see Chouji, please tell him I have to talk to him." Hana said, and Shikamaru nodded before making his way towards the staircase. As he walked down the stairs though, Shikamaru's eyes narrowed; if the meeting involved Naruto then something was about to happen.

And despite of everything, Shikamaru knew that whatever was going to happen was not going to be good.

* * *

The whole plan was insane. It was so awfully premeditated that she doubted it could even be called a plan. Oh, even if she did not want to, she could not help but think that the Hokage had gone mad.

Even though she had thought the same thing many times in the past.

And she had to admit that up until then Tsunade had still to cross the line of insanity. But she could swear that Tsunade was about to cross that same line.

With a sigh, Shizune forced herself to snap from her thoughts, and focus in the task she had just accomplished. Even though it had been more complicated than she thought, she had managed to gather the Jounin and Chuunin Tsunade had told her to.

Thank heavens that Sakura, Team 8 and 10, and Team Gai were in Konoha that morning.

At the moment Sarutobi Asuma, Yuuhi Kurenai, Maito Gai and Hatake Kakashi were standing behind their respective students. Everyone was staring at Tsunade, expecting to hear whatever she had to tell them, while the Hokage was staring at them with a solemn expression.

Go figure why she was doing all that suspense.

"Listen up, I gathered you all here because a very important mission has come up." Tsunade started in her serious tone, her fingers entwined in front of her chin. "And this mission is for everyone with no exceptions."

"You're joining the four teams for one mission?" Kurenai questioned, a hand resting on her hip. "Do you really think that's necessary?"

"This is no easy mission, and I won't allow anyone to take this lightly." Tsunade answered in the same tone of authority, her eyes narrowing slightly. "This mission is S-rank, and I need everybody's abilities to complete it."

"What? A S-rank mission?" a blond girl asked, her crystalline-blue eyes widening in shock and surprise. "But Tsunade-sama, Sakura and I…we're medical-nin. I know Sakura has the strength to fight, but I…"

"Ino, you two have a very important position in this mission, but you're right; we have two medical-nin for three teams." suddenly Tsunade's eyes turned to Shizune, who tensed up. "Find Fuzen Hana; she's going with them."

"Hai!" Shizune exclaimed, saluting, but she did not move from her spot, knowing that Tsunade wanted her to hear what the rest of the mission was about.

"Yosh, we're finally going to show how brilliant the future of Konoha is!" Gai exclaimed with a fist stuck in the air, and everyone sweatdropped when Rock Lee started cheering as well.

"What do you want us to do?" Hyuuga Neji asked suddenly, his arms pressed against his chest, and everyone stared at Tsunade.

"You're going to visit the surrounding countries." the Hokage started before standing up from her chair, a hand resting on the desk while the other was on her hip. "I will divide you into groups, and each team will go to a country to search for clues."

"Clues for what?" Kiba asked suddenly, and Tsunade narrowed her eyes even more.

"I want you to find and report back all clues that may lead us to Naruto." the Hokage explained shortly, and silence fell in the office. "If you want to decline this quest, speak now. No punishment will be administrated to the person who turn this mission down, but let me say that whoever refuses to bring someone who has suffered unjustly is worse than our enemies altogether."

"What do we have to do?" Aburame Shino asked suddenly, a hood covering his face while a pair of sunglasses were protecting his eyes.

"The teams will remain as they are, but Sakura is going to join Kurenai's team while Hana joins Gai's." Tsunade quickly explained. "Team 8 will go to the Land of Water, Team 9 will go to the Land of Earth, and Gai's team will go to the Land of Lightning."

"Tsunade-sama, don't forget about Kakashi-sensei." Shizune cut in, and the Hokage focused her attention on the said Jounin almost immediately.

"Kakashi, I have another mission for you, so stay here a little longer. Everyone else may go get ready for the mission." Tsunade spoke up, and this time she pressed both her hands against the desk. "You're to leave tomorrow morning."

* * *

It was amazing to feel the cold breeze of the night, and to stare at the dark sky; the stars…they seemed to hold all the power he wanted so much to reach for. The power to shine despite the weather, feelings or condition.

And he was going to reach that power.

The power of youth he had grown up hearing about.

The power of youth that had caught his attention when he was younger.

As he closed his eyes, he rose his chin and raised his arms. Yes, that was the sensation he wanted so much to grasp…the sensation of being able to carry one person towards the sky.

All he wanted was to get strong in order to be free.

But at the moment he felt extremely bad for thinking that way. He could be free easily, but how could he appreciate freedom when one of his best friends was chained to something so erroneous? To something so undignified?

No, everyday he struggled to get closer to his freedom, but everyday he refused to grasp it.

And he would not do it.

At least not until Rookie 9 were together again.

And he was going to make sure his friends were together again in the future. He was going to make sure all of them were together and laughing at all the stupidities they had done in the past, even if that meant having to talk about his weird behaviour. Yes, because he now knew that sometimes he did have some…odd manners.

A small smile graced his face, and he allowed his arms to drop to his sides at same time he opened his eyes. Yes, he was going to do everything within his power to bring smiles back to his friends faces.

Especially to Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Hinata's faces.

Suddenly a wave of melancholy washed over Lee, and he sat down on the bench of the balcony where his team would meet all the time. Yes, despite the fact he acted as if he cared for nothing besides training, Lee had noticed how the two girls had slowly built walls around them…walls that would become visible every time someone mentioned Sasuke or Naruto's name.

Yes, even though Sasuke had returned, the village had lost the only person that held its flame…

"What are you doing up at this hour?"

Looking up from his knees, Lee blinked when he saw his teacher standing right in front of him, his hands resting on his hips. For a moment the two of them just stared at each other, their eyes locked, but when the cold breeze kissed his tanned cheeks, Lee looked down again.

"I was just thinking."

"Well, you could leave that for tomorrow; we have to be up early." Gai spoke up, in his usual tone, and Lee sighed without gazing up. "Want to tell me what's troubling the mind of my awesome student?"

"Sakura…and Hinata." Lee quickly added at same time he stood up, but Gai still offered him a white smile. "And this whole mission. I really want to repay Naruto for everything he did for me, so I'll do my best to achieve this mission."

"A feeling I know well." Gai muttered before raising his thumb in his 'nice guy' pose. His lips parted, and Lee could not help but feel amazed when he noticed that his teacher's white smile seemed to gleam as much as the stars. "Alright Lee, tomorrow we'll start our search, and we'll show everyone that the beauty of youth is what will bring Naruto back!"

For a second Lee just stared at his teacher, but then he returned the smile, and also rose his thumb in his own nice guy pose.

"Yosh!"

* * *

That was first time ever since his journey had began that he found himself believing that someone was watching over them.

There was no other possible explanation. After all, who could have said that as soon as they crossed the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Fire they would be surrounded by trees that would shelter them from the blazing sun, and also find a stream of cold and pure water?

Yes, for the first time since the beginning of that troublesome year, he could swear someone was protecting their back, and he was thankfully for it, because he knew that if they had not found the trees and the stream, the little girl would most likely die on them. And even though they had not confessed it to each other, Naruto knew that Gaara was as determined as him to save the child.

At the moment, Naruto was doing his best to make the girl drink the water they had taken from the stream. Even though it was obvious she had not been in the desert for long, she was still young enough to suffer more than an adult. And helping the girl to drink fluids was their first priority, even though Gaara was smashing some fruits they had found on the branches of the trees.

It was funny though, now that Naruto was thinking about it. For many people the two of them were nothing but monsters with forms of human beings, but Naruto knew people would go berserk if they saw two monsters trying to save a little girl.

Gently, Naruto rested the neck of the bottle against the girl's lips, and helped her to drink. Despite the fact it was a warm evening, they had decided to make a small fire for the girl's sake, and silently the two of them hoped that that was enough. They had wordlessly agreed to watch over the girl until they could take her to a village, and leave her there.

But they would only depart after making sure she was not going to be treated discriminatorily just because they had been the ones to help her.

"Give her this." Gaara spoke suddenly, breaking the silence that had fallen on the forest, and Naruto nodded before holding the small wooden plate and wooden spoon. Gently, Naruto rose the girl's head so that she was leaning against his shoulder, and then he stared at the food; Gaara had done a great job smashing the fruit to the point that it was easy to swallow it without having to chew it first.

As he hold the plate and the girl with his left arm, Naruto grabbed the spoon with his right hand, and then moved it closer to the girl's lips. As he tried to feed her, Naruto could not help but wonder how old she was; she did not appear to be any older than ten, and if she was indeed of that age, then why had they found her in the desert?

What imprudent thought had taken her there?

"Don't force her to eat." Gaara advised suddenly, and Naruto snapped from his thoughts only to see that he had unconsciously been forcing the girl's lips to part. "As long as she drinks, she'll be alright."

"What do you think that happened to her?" Naruto asked as he finally decided that it was better to put the food aside, and he placed the plate and spoon on the ground, beside him. Then, he covered the girl with his coat, her head resting on his chest. "Do you really think it's better if we leave her in some village? We could take her to Konoha."

"…We don't know how people will react." Gaara pointed out after a small silence, and Naruto gazed down at the sleeping girl before focusing his attention back to his travelling companion. "I understand what you mean, but we can't risk it."

"Well, we don't know how people from other village will react when they see us, but you still think it's safer." Naruto pointed out, but Gaara did not say anything in return. "It's just that we have Tsunade-basan in Konoha, and Sakura! No matter what happened before, I trust them with my life."

"Uzumaki Naruto, I understand your fear, but you must think about the child's safeguard first." Gaara started when Naruto trailed off. "Going to Konohagakure is a risk for us, and we'll have to watch over our back all the time. Do you think we'll be able to do that at same time we protect a child?"

"Ah, the 'facing the world' crap again." Naruto groaned, as he dropped his head in tiredness, but he knew Gaara was still staring at him with his usual stoic expression. "The worse part of all this is that I know you're right. But can you blame me for being worried about her?"

"You grew attached to her in less than a day, Naruto, and you should know better." Gaara pointed out, crossing his arms against his chest. "We cannot put her life at stake; ours is enough."

"Where do you think we should leave her, then?" Naruto asked, as he looked down at the sleeping girl. "We could go around, and pass through the Land of Rain, and leave her in Amegakure or something. I mean, according to her hitai-ate, she's from Kirigakure, but we're too far from the Land of Water, so…"

Absently, Naruto run a finger through the hitai-ate that was around the little girl's neck. To see the headband there reminded Naruto of another girl who also had her hitai-ate around her neck… However, Naruto knew better than to think about _her_ in such moment.

"Amegakure sounds good." Gaara answered after a short moment in silence, and Naruto glanced at him, his hand now resting on his side. "We can go straight to Konohagakure afterwards."

"As if the ninja from Amegakure aren't going to inform Konoha as soon as we cross the border." Naruto muttered, a hint of bitterness in his words, but he trailed off when the little girl shifted and groaned. "Whoa, I think she's waking up!"

Even though Gaara said nothing, the two ninja focused their attention on the shifting girl, who groaned again after a short moment. The fire beside them continued to chase shadows away, as flames continued to lick the wood and dance with the ashes. When there was a _crack_, indicating that a branch had finally succumbed to the fire's will, the girl's eyelids fluttered open a couple of times before allowing the two boys to see the deep forest green shade of her orbs.

"Hey, you're awake!" Naruto exclaimed before he could stop himself, but the girl just stared blankly at him, long cobalt streaks framing her cheeks, until her eyes widened in shock. Almost immediately, she sat up only to wince. "Hey, calm down, we're not going to hurt you."

"Who are you?" the little girl asked, clearly scared, and she obviously failed to acknowledge Gaara's presence since she instantaneously started looking around. "Where's my onee-chan?"

"We only found you, but hey, what's your name?" Naruto asked, but the girl simply looked at him before shaking her head, the coat now covering her legs. As expected, she was probably too weak to run away, even though it was surprising to see her already sitting, and moving as if nothing had happened.

"My onee-chan always told me never to talk to strangers." the girl quickly explained, and then she clutched the coat with her small fists. "Where's my sister?"

"Wait, listen, laid down. My name is Naruto, and he's Gaara." the blond introduced them, his hand resting on the girl's shoulder, and he softly motioned her to lay on the ground while using his legs as a pillow. "Now, what's your name?"

"Maiko." the girl answered as she finally gave in, and rested her head on Naruto's lap. "Where's my onee-chan?"

"Alright, Maiko, listen, we found you in the desert." Naruto started, deciding it was better to understand what had happened before questioning the girl about who her sister was. "What were you doing there?"

"My onee-chan and I were going to Sunagakure." Maiko trailed off when Naruto handed her a bottle of water, and she immediately took a long sip. "Our okaa-san and otousan let us leave, and onee-chan agreed to go to Suna. But…"

"Were you travelling alone with her?" Gaara asked suddenly, and Maiko's eyes turned to him, and she nodded. "Were you attacked?"

"I…I don't remember…" Maiko finally confessed, her tone of voice dropping as sadness started to reflect in her dark eyes. "I only remember a ninja appearing from behind a sand-hill, and then onee-chan protected me, and…I don't know. Where's my onee-chan?"

"Eat this." Gaara indicated after standing up, and grab the plate he had once handed Naruto, but Maiko just stared at it. "Rest, and then we'll talk about your sister."

"But onee-chan…she promised she wouldn't leave me." Maiko said, sounding more anxious, and Naruto found himself staring at Gaara, who looked back at him. "I want my onee-chan…"

"Maiko, listen, I promise we're going to find your sister." Naruto spoke up, as he helped the girl to sit straight in order to eat a bit, but Maiko stared at him with widened eyes. "But you must rest first."

"Y-You're going to help me find my onee-chan?" Maiko asked as she finally grabbed the plate Gaara was handing her, and Naruto rose his thumb at same time he winked at the little girl, a foxy grin on his face.

"I promise, and you better believe it!"

And even though the whole situation sounded impossible, for that short moment Naruto could not help but think that the wide smile that had graced Maiko's face after his words was worth it.

**To Be Continued…**


	5. The New Sunrise

**Disclaimer: **Masashi Kishimoto is the owner of _Naruto_. I only own the unknown characters and the plot of this fic: nothing else is mine.

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I want to thank **Silvan Arrow**, **Shadw**, **city with no people**, **littlepi**, **Vld**, **harem-no-jutsu69**, **hopeless illusion**, **SGCred**, **kitsune no kasai**, **Terenin** _and_ **AlexiaWinters.**

**Chapter 4**

_The New Sunrise_

The clouds were slowly painting the sky with clear colours, indicating how the sunrise was getting closer. Birds were already crossing the heavens, welcoming the crack of dawn with content melodies at same time figures left the sanctuary of their houses. Those same figures were quickly meeting up in the different intersections of Konohagakure, and making their way towards the Main Gate of their village.

And as expected, Hyuuga Hinata was among her friends, backpack already on her shoulders as she finally stopped underneath a huge and strong tree. Beside her, talking to his dog, was Kiba, while Shino was staring at the sky. Sakura had arrived too, and was quietly speaking with Lee and Tenten while Neji had his eyes closed and arms pressed against his chest.

Team 10 had yet to arrive, but the older Jounin were late as well.

As she watched her friends chatting about the upcoming mission, Hinata found herself gazing at the sky, which was now painted in red, orange and blue shades. The sunrise was indeed something special…it marked the beginning of a new day…a new chance for people to live and try to find their happiness…

But for Hinata this new sunrise had a deeper meaning… That dawn was the beginning of a journey that would take her to the one she cared the most…to the one she had secretly watched from the shadows, drinking in all those opportunities…

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" a female voice asked suddenly, and Hinata looked away from the horizon in time to see Hana stepping beside her, a backpack on her shoulders while her eyes were locked with the sun.

"It's a new beginning." Hinata replied with a short nod, but she blushed faintly when her words echoed in her ears. "I-I mean, hopefully this beautiful sunrise is the signal that we're not going to fail this mission."

"C'mon Hinata, there's no need for you to blush." Hana pointed out with a smile, and she rested a hand on Hinata's shoulder. "Everyone knows how much Naruto means for you. It's normal for you to face this as a new beginning because that's exactly what this morning symbolizes. You finally have the chance of finding Naruto, and bring him back."

"Too bad we're not on the same team." Hinata confessed in a soft tone, and Hana's smile widened a little bit.

"No, it's good that I'm not in your team." the brunette started, and the Hyuuga heiress blinked in confusion. "Think about it; Sakura is in your team, and I'm sure no one knows Naruto better than she does."

"Crowd of the eternal youth, gather up!"

At the voice, both Hinata and Hana looked over their shoulders, and the member of the Hyuuga clan blinked when she saw Team 10, and the team's teachers, except for Hatake Kakashi.

"Since we're aware of the complexity of this mission, it was declared that if we receive no positive report from you within two weeks, we'll go after you." Kurenai started, her right hand resting on her hip.

"If the situation requires our presence, then we'll have two more weeks to accomplish the mission." Asuma proceeded, a cigarette on his lips. "When the time that was given to us ends, we have approximately three days to return to Konoha."

"Yosh! It's time for you to go, and prove to everyone that Konohagakure has the brightest flame of youth of all villages!" Gai finished in his 'nice guy' pose, and the youngsters chorused an 'hai!'.

With a deep breath, Hinata glanced at the sky again, her right fist resting against her chest. They were going to find him…they were going to bring him back… And she would do her best to show Naruto that it had not been foolish from his part when he had decided to meet her of all people to say goodbye.

* * *

He did not understand that.

Before being banned from Sunagakure, he had been learning the art of touching, but he had never felt that way. Sure she was a child, but her way of behaving was just…unusual.

On the first time, she had asked if she could hold his hand. Despite the strangeness of such request, he had nodded.

On the second time, she had looked worriedly at him. When he had not moved away, she had grasped his hand with a smile.

On the third time, she had just hold his hand without even glancing at him.

He seriously did not know who had raised that child, even though she talked about her older sister non-stop, but whoever had watched over her, had done it well. Oh so he thought, after all, after they were banned, rumours had started to spread through villages, and… Well, Gaara would not be surprised if everyone warned their youngsters about the containers of the First Tails and the Nine Tails.

But despite all that, there she was, chatting with Naruto while holding his hand with her small one.

"No, ramen is better!" Naruto disagreed with a small shake of his head, and Gaara blinked when Maiko retorted that dorayaki were way better. That was the third time they were discussing about food, and for some reason, Gaara could say that was not going to be their last one.

As Maiko and Naruto continued to discuss about what was the best food ever, Gaara glanced at the sky that could barely be seen due to the long branches of the trees, the leaves growing at a fast rate. To watch those two bickering helped Gaara recall his own siblings; Kankurou and Temari did quarrel a lot, but they were extremely close.

Closer to each other than to him.

And that was not surprising.

However, now that he was unable to contact with his siblings, Gaara could not help but wonder if they would ever have the chance to rebuilt their bonds again. After being forced to leave Sunagakure, Gaara had started to understand what was really important in life, and when he had meet Naruto…well, the blond had helped him to understand that one must make the effort to change or even create his own path.

And that was exactly what they were doing. Gaara and Naruto were digging their own paths… paths that would lead them towards challenges and hard work, but that would also take them away from darkness. And even though none of them had ever expressed the feeling, Gaara knew that that was exactly what the two young adults were searching for.

A new beginning.

A new chance.

A new life.

And perhaps the path that would give them a new opportunity had started when they found Maiko.

"Ne, Gaara-san, don't you think dorayaki is better than ramen?" Maiko asked suddenly, as she continued to hold the boy's hand, her round eyes filled with hope, but Gaara simply glanced at her. "Please, tell Naruto-san that dorayaki is better than ramen."

"…I believe that the differences are what make each one of us special." Gaara spoke up, and Maiko sent him a confused look, and the boy sighed when Naruto shrugged. "Since the two of you have different likings, then you won't need to fight over food."

"Well, I still think dorayaki is better." Maiko stated stubbornly, and this time Naruto chuckled while Gaara stared down at the girl with a blank expression. "Ne, Gaara-san, where are we going now?"

"Amegakure." Gaara answered still with his stoic expression, and Maiko blinked again. "You're going to stay there while we go to Konohagakure."

"But I thought we were going to look for onee-chan…" Maiko said in a sad tone, her eyes never leaving Gaara's face. "You promised you were going to help me find my onee-chan."

"Maiko, listen, I know I promised you that, but we can't take you with us. It will be too dangerous." Naruto finally spoke, and the little girl turned to him, sadness still visible in her eyes. "We don't want to risk your life, and that's why Gaara and I agreed it would be safer to leave you in Amegakure."

"But I don't know anyone in Amegakure." Maiko confessed, looking rather sad. "How am I supposed to look for my onee-chan, if I don't know anyone? Why can't you help me find my onee-chan?"

"Maiko, I told you; you can't be with us." Naruto quickly explained, and the little girl looked at him, but Gaara felt her grip on his hand increase substantially. "You may be in danger if you stay with us."

"Are you some bad guys?" Maiko questioned innocently, but she turned to Gaara before Naruto even had the time to open his mouth. With her free hand, she poked Gaara on his arm, and then she glanced at the two of them. "You seem to be alright. And Gaara-san is letting me hold his hand; a bad guy wouldn't do that."

"No, we're not the bad guys, but that doesn't mean anything." Naruto quickly interjected, and Maiko turned to him again, Gaara watching the two of them in silence.

Despite her age, Maiko was right; to entrust her to someone in Amegakure was the best choice, but that would also mean they would have to abandon her. Naruto was also aware of what Maiko would feel if she was suddenly left alone; sure they were still practically strangers, but the little girl had already made it clear that they were her friends.

And to abandon her would be like bringing their pasts back.

And that was why Naruto and him were trying so desperately to make Maiko see that she would not be safe with them. Not when practically every village was watching the frontiers closely to spot even just a glimpse of them…

"Yes it does, if you're not the bad guys, then you have to be the good guys." Maiko stated, and Gaara saw that Naruto was staring at him, silently asking for him to help out. "And my onee-chan says that the good guys always look after their friends."

"Maiko, how old are you?" Gaara finally asked as he focused his attention on the little girl, who stared at him before replying with a quick 'ten'. "Then you're old enough to understand that if you stay with us, you may end up hurt, and your sister most likely doesn't want that to happen."

"But onee-chan protected me, I have to look for her!" Maiko exclaimed, "Okaa-san and otousan said we should always be together. You're the good guys; I know you will help me to find my onee-chan."

"How come you're so sure about that?" Naruto questioned suddenly, and Gaara saw the smile that graced the child's face as she turned to the blond.

"Your eyes told me!"

* * *

He did not know what he had done to get himself into that situation.

He had always tried to find missions to accomplish, or in case of not being able to leave his village, to find a quiet place where he could read his book. Not that the current situation did not worry him, but sometimes he also needed a break.

Just like everyone else.

But at the moment it was impossible for him to recoil from reality, and step into his own illusion. And apparently he was not going to be able to do that for quite some time; not when Tsunade had just given him a very peculiar mission. No, _peculiar_ was not even the right word; _troublesome_ seemed more appropriated.

That mission was certainly going to be very tiring. He was already preparing himself for the battle he was going to face, and all the other ones that would follow the first. Yes, because after the first meeting, he was going to track down Akatsuki; he had been forbidden by the Fifth Hokage of getting into physical assaults, but going after that group was already a pain.

Man, for the first time in his life, Hatake Kakashi truly did not want to go on a mission.

"Kakashi, are you listening to me?" Tsunade asked suddenly, a hint of annoyance in her voice, and the said Jounin snapped from his thoughts only to nod as a reflex action. "Good, because there's no way I'm going to let you decline this mission."

Damn.

"Are you certain that I'm the right person for the job?" Kakashi asked suddenly, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "I have no problem in going, but the person in question will most likely have my head."

"You better find a way of keeping your head then, because we need both of you to track Akatsuki down." Tsunade retorted, and Kakashi mentally sighed. "I want you to leave immediately, and contact me as soon as you find your team mate. I want everything to go smoothly; I won't risk anyone just because the two of you decided to bite each other's head off."

"You speak as if it's my fault." Kakashi muttered, but he raised an eyebrow slightly when the Hokage smirked at him. Oh, he hated when she did that; it seemed as if Tsunade knew something he did not. "But I'll leave at once."

"Great, I just received a report, and you can start your search in Takigakure." Tsunade started, as she reached out for a document. "I was informed that _someone_ from Konohagakure is trying to find a way of becoming a member of the Niju Shotai." (1)

"I guess I better hurry then." Kakashi stated, and Tsunade nodded. "But, with this new piece of information, I must ask; are we to become unofficial members of the Niju Shotai?"

"I believe we can say that, although your mission includes _all_ the members of Akatsuki." Tsunade said with a short nod, and Kakashi nodded in return. "However, as you know, I must ask you for the outmost discretion during this mission. I will contact Jiraiya, and tell him to go meet you as soon as possible."

"You can count on me." Kakashi said before bowing in respect, and then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Moments later Kakashi was back to his apartment, wearing his pale blue slippers, his tactical vest lying on his bed while the man was sitting on the mattress. Silently he reached out for the two frames he had on his bed's headboard, and stared down at them. The first one had been taken during his childhood; Kakashi was there, along with his team mates, and behind the three of them was the Fourth Hokage himself. On the second one, an older Kakashi was standing behind his own students.

Oh, how he missed those days. The time when he was just a silly child, trying to become as strong as his teacher, and the time when his students would keep his words in their hearts. Kakashi just missed the times when friendship actually meant something.

'The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate without not knowing…not healing, not curing…that is a friend who cares.' (2) Kakashi could not remember who had said such wise words, but he agreed with that person.

Times were so different now, those who had once been friends were now the first ones to neglect help and to turn their backs to whoever needed aid. Perhaps, it was just the atmosphere that had suddenly fallen over the village, corrupting every soul and heart… Perhaps it was connected with the fact everyone was simply too stubborn to admit their mistakes…

Well, whatever it was, it did not matter at the moment. Kakashi knew it was time to put his memories aside, and do what he had to do. It was time to try to mend what had been shattered, and to bring bonds back to life.

Unconsciously, Kakashi's attention turned to the photography where he was with his students, and his eye fell on a certain blond, who was smirking. Yes, it was time to put the past aside for some time, and think about the future.

It was time to chase away the darkness.

It was time for a new sunrise.

**To Be Continued…**

1 – I took this information from _Wikipedia_. Apparently, the **Niju Shotai** (Twenty Platoons) is a task force created by Tsunade. This force, consisting of twenty, four-man teams, was created for the purpose of tracking down, attempting to capture, and, if necessary, eliminating Akatsuki members in Konoha. There are currently only two confirmed teams (which I won't reveal because of the spoilers).

2 – Quote from Henri Nouwen(Dutch Christian writer 1932 - 1996)


	6. Hope for Ourselves

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I want to thank **Shadw**, **Terenin**, **the dudeariono**, **city with no people**, **Silvan Arrow**, **SGCred** _and_ **AlexiaWinters** for everything. I would be so lost without you guys! And now I'm going to post this, because I'm not supposed to update this quickly… Oh well, hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

_Hope for Ourselves_

It was going to take them precisely five days to arrive to the Land of Water, breaks already included. Of course that if they ended up running into some sort of problem they were going to get delayed unless one of them decided to stay behind while the others continued with their journey. And that had been exactly what Yuuhi Kurenai had told her team right before they left Konoha.

However, she could not help but not agree with that decision.

To be separated meant that they would be weaker, and if they were weaker that could only mean troubles. After all, even though they had been sent simply to find clues and not to engage in any sort of confrontment, Sakura knew better than just stick to the words. Especially when her team involved someone like the loud and head-strong Inuzuka Kiba and his faithful dog, Akamaru.

Sakura mentally sighed as she started thinking about the members of her new team. She knew she could put Kiba in line by using both her temper and strength, but she knew better than doing that with Aburame Shino. That guy was simply too solitary and collected for his own good!

And then, of course, was shy and quiet Hyuuga Hinata. Now, Sakura had nothing against the Hyuuga heiress, although she could not help but think Hinata should be more determined. She sure was strong; Sakura had once watched Hinata training, but her lack of confidence still got on the way.

As she leaped from one branch to another, Sakura could not help but recall the purpose of that mission. Tsunade wanted to bring Naruto back to Konoha… Sakura was happy to know that at least the Hokage was willing to give Naruto a second chance, but the medical-nin knew that the problem would be on the villagers' side.

But this time, regardless of what could have happened between Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura was going to stand by her friend no matter what.

She owed him that much.

But still Sakura did not understand why they could only search for clues and not bring Naruto himself with them. It just did not make sense, but for some reason Sakura could not help but recall the villagers again; perhaps Tsunade had thought about them as well, and was trying to find a way of bringing Naruto back without causing commotion?

But then again, they lived in Konoha; disorder was part of their daily-basis.

"Say, do you guys think we're going to find clues about Naruto in Kirigakure?" Kiba questioned suddenly, an enormous Akamaru following him. The dog truly had grown up…

"If there's one thing we're sure of is that there are no certainties." Shino spoke, and everyone looked at him, but the Chuunin just kept looking ahead. "Naruto left Konohagakure one year ago, and ever since then it was almost impossible to keep track of him. All we have are short reports about some people who say to have been visited by him, but other than that…"

"But what will we do if instead of clues we find Naruto himself?" Kiba questioned as he jumped to another branch, and this time Shino looked over his shoulder.

"_If_ we come across Naruto, all we'll do is send a message to Tsunade-sama, and wait for her decision." the young man explained. "There will be no attempt to make him stay, and you certainly won't fight to state your point."

"Damn…"

"Shino is right; Kiba, if you dare to go against Tsunade-sama's orders, I'll stop you myself, you hear me?" Sakura asked, as she looked at the Inuzuka member in time to see him nod, and then she gazed at Hinata.

Ever since they had left the village that the Hyuuga heiress had not spoken. Even Shino had said a couple of sentences, but it seemed as if Hinata was too lost in her thoughts to even notice what was going on. Not that Sakura could blame her, but sometimes she wished she knew what was going on in the Hyuuga heiress' mind.

Sakura had heard rumours that explained how Naruto and Hinata had met one last time before Naruto abandoned the village, but sometimes Sakura could not help but think that that was plain preposterous. Sure Naruto could say goodbye to someone, but Sakura had never thought he and Hinata were close enough for her to be the chosen one.

It was not as if Sakura was jealous or angry, but Hinata's behaviour did make people wonder. Well, at least the ones that noticed she was quieter than usual. But if there was something that could reveal people how much the whole situation was affecting Hinata, that would be her eyes.

Even though Sakura and Hinata had never been close friends, Sakura had noticed how her eyes always transmitted tranquillity and sensitivity. Her eyes always reflected who Hinata truly was underneath the stuttering, and the blushing, and occasionally the fainting. But now…as that mission proceeded, Sakura had noticed how Hinata's warm eyes slowly became determined.

And Hinata's clenched fists showed her commitment as well.

Even though Hinata was most likely not even aware of how she looked, Sakura had to admit that at the moment the shy Hyuuga reminded the medical-nin of herself. Of how she had wanted to go after Sasuke, and bring him back…of how much she had wanted to show faithfulness to the boy…

Maybe it was time for her to actually become friends with Hinata; after all, despite their opposite personalities, they did have some things in common. Faint things, but that were always present in their minds.

"Hey, Hinata." Sakura called-out, and the other girl turned to her, confusion written all over her face. For a moment, Sakura just stared at Hinata, but a smile quickly enlightened her face. "Lets' do our best to bring Naruto back."

All that answered her back was a timid smile and a nod. And yet those two reactions were enough to make Sakura's smile grow wider; it was time to show to themselves of what they were capable of.

* * *

He was aware of all the glares he was receiving, but at the moment he could not care less. If there was something his team should be aware of was that when he was hungry he _was_ hungry, and no one had the power to take him away from food.

Therefore, as soon as he had heard his stomach growl the first time, he had grabbed a bag of chips instantly, and started to munch them. And that was heaven to him; just him and his food. That was why he could not care less if his team mates looked ready to fulminate him on the spot or not. Yes, because he had learnt how to eat and leap from branch-to-branch at same time, so he was not actually jeopardizing the mission.

"Chouji, are you aware that if someone attacks us, it will be your fault?"

It had taken Ino exactly three minutes and twenty-seven seconds to snap. And that was a new record too, but it was not as if she knew it or that he was counting the time. He was too busy with his food to track how long it took for Ino to tell him that he would probably put everyone in danger just because of a bag of chips.

Besides, eating took his mind away from problems. Not that he did not end up thinking about those same problems anyway, but at least during the time it would take him to finish the chips, he would be able not to think about what was troubling him.

And at the moment Chouji was trying not to think about the mission itself, and about his cousin being with Gai's team. Oh, he hoped she would not be influenced Lee's odd behaviour.

Oh wait, he was not supposed to be thinking about that.

"Troublesome…"

Five minutes and two seconds.

Another record.

"Chouji, will you put that bag aside?" Ino snapped suddenly, but the boy's only answer was a crunch. "Honestly, if we run into troubles, I won't be saving you because it will be your fault."

"Hai!"

"Idiot, can't you take anything seriously?" Ino asked, but Chouji simply smiled at her before eating another bunch of potato chips. "And how on earth can you keep up with us without feeling sick? Wait, wait, don't answer that, I just don't want to know."

"Well, I'm hungry, and you know how I can be when I'm hungry and don't eat." Chouji pointed out before grabbing more chips. "But like you said, I'm not delaying us so don't bother me."

"But you're making a lot of noise." Ino snapped, and Chouji shrugged as he finally finished eating the potatoes. "Don't force me to use Shintenshin no Jutsu on you!"

"Fine, fine, I just finished." Chouji said as he put the empty bag of potato chips inside his bag pack. He was still hungry, but Chouji guessed he could wait five minutes before attacking the next bag of potato chips.

However, now that he was unable to eat, Chouji found himself thinking about what he did not want to remember. First of all, he was worried about what could happen during the mission, and not only about his team but about everyone in general, and consequently he could not help but remember his cousin.

It was not as if he did not trust Gai's team, but to be unable to watch over her... Chouji would feel better if Hana was with him, but he had no power to question the Tsunade's decision; he did not like it, but Chouji was not stupid at the point of showing his aversion to the Hokage's judgment.

"Hey, how long is it going to take for us to reach Iwagakure?" Ino asked suddenly, and Chouji looked at her while Shikamaru continued to jump from branch-to-branch, his eyes locked with the sky.

"Three days, including our rest at night." Shikamaru replied without looking away from the heavens above, and Chouji mentally sighed; he just hoped his rations would be enough. Only heavens knew what could happen if their enemies found their hiding place because of his growling stomach.

"And are we supposed to meet the other teams soon?" Ino questioned as she leaped to another branch, but Shikamaru simply shook his head. "You know, I still cannot believe Asuma-sensei actually agreed to let us come alone. I mean, we have no mentor with us!"

"C'mon Ino, don't be so worried, we're together!" Chouji exclaimed suddenly, and the blonde focused her attention on him. "With your Shinranshin no Jutsu, Shikamaru's Kageyose no Jutsu and mine Nikudan Hari Sensha, I'm sure we can teach whoever dares to bother us a lesson."

"I have no idea about what you have been eating, Chouji, but it sure makes you sound more courageous than usual." Ino stated with a small shake of her head, but the chubby young man simply chuckled at her words.

It was true though, Chouji did believe that together the three of them did work nicely as a team (which was still a surprise to most people since most of the time they would quarrel about every little thing). However, there was still something that was bothering Chouji; sure, they were only supposed to find clues, and report Konoha about their discoveries, but would it be enough?

Chouji doubted that Naruto was still the same, consequently there were no guaranties that he would accept to return to Konohagakure regardless of his wish to become the next Hokage. Chouji knew that convincing Naruto was going to take a lot of time and effort, but now that he was thinking about it, the member of the Akimichi clan could not help but allow a smile to grace his face.

Even if Naruto said he was not going to go back, Chouji could think about a couple of girls that would most likely change his mind.

* * *

Four…five…six…

Damn, people just did not know when to give up!

Every time they tried to get an information, the results were always the same. The people they approached would be tough guys, who would prefer to beat them up to help them out. Of course that most of those 'tugs' did not even know who they were, and just felt pleasure with the thought of beating the crap out of someone who was theoretically weaker than them.

But the same thing would always happen; the tugs were the ones who would be beaten up, and they would be forced to go somewhere else to ask for directions. Bah, that could not even be seen as training, because most of their opponents were not even worth of their time.

The funny thing about all that was that while he was forced to sweat, all his partner did was watch everyone try to hit him. Of course that all his team mate needed was to glance at someone, and sand would do all the work, but him…well, at least he had Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to help him out.

Go figure why he was the one to have all the hard work.

"Seven!" Naruto shouted as he gave one last punch to the remaining opponent, sending the ninja through the air before he hit the ground, a cloud of smoke covering him for a moment. "Finally!"

"Humph." was all Gaara said as his sand returned to his gourd while Maiko was standing next to him, a hand resting on his hip as she observed the fallen ninjas with her free hand clenched in front of her chin.

"Yeah, yeah, I know it was piece of cake for you." Naruto said with a small chuckle, but Gaara simply stared at him with an impassive expression, and the blond sighed; go figure why he had not gone crazy with Gaara's lack of humour. "So, anyway, now that you're all lying down, why don't you tell us where to go?"

"Go to hell." the only ninja from Amegakure who was in condition to speak said, but Naruto simply glanced at Gaara, who nodded. "We're never going to allow you to enter in our village."

"And you said that because…?"

"You're menaces."

Ah yes, of course, the usual answer.

"Well, forgive us for attacking you when you clearly wanted to kill us." Naruto spoke at same time Gaara crossed his arms against his chest. "All we wanted was one piece of information, and you decided to get all hasty, and attack us. However, since we clearly won this confront, why don't you just tell us what we want to know?"

"We prefer to die to allow such troublemakers to enter in our village." the ninja hissed as he struggled to sit down on the ground while he pressed his hand against his leg, which was obviously broken.

"Listen man, we never said anything about wanting to enter in Amegakure." Naruto pointed out, after a tired sigh. "That was our intend first, but right now we have other worries. All we want to know is that if you received any news about a possible kidnap."

"I will tell you nothing."

"You know, you can annoy me all you want, because all I'll eventually do is beat you up even more." Naruto started, before motioning to Gaara with his hand. "But I'm certain you've heard about my companion; he's rather famous for his lack of patience."

At that Gaara glanced at Naruto, who simply glanced back at him by the corner of his eyes before proceeding.

"Anyway, you probably also noticed that my friend's speciality is sand, and if I'm not mistaken, when he was just a kid, he got rid of a team from your village during the second stage of the Chuunin Exam."

Of course that it was most likely that the ninja from Amegakure had not clue about what Naruto was saying; not many knew about what Gaara had done during that Chuunin.

"I will not betray my village."

Damn people's patriotism; sometimes they sounded like idiots!

"P-Please…" Naruto heard a shy voice speak, and he looked to his side only to see Maiko looking at the same fallen ninja, her grip on Gaara's clothes increasing as she gulped. "My onee-chan was…someone took her, and they're trying to help me. Please…do you know where my onee-chan is?"

"I have no idea about what you're talking about." the ninja said, and Naruto sighed; he should have known that that would be a waste of time.

Suddenly there was a soft sound, and Naruto looked to his side in time to see sand slowly leaving from Gaara's gourd. The Suna ninja's face, however, was stoic as ever, even though Naruto knew he was pissed off. Gaara's sand only acted when the boy was angry or in danger.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the ninja from Amegakure asked when sand reached his ankle and started swirling up his broken leg, but Gaara just continued to stare at him in his superior posture. Maiko, who was still behind him, shifted more to the side so that half of her was hidden by Gaara.

"You are Chuunin, do you really expect me to believe you haven't heard about anything?" Gaara asked in an unemotional tone of voice, and the Amegakure ninja stared down at the sand that was now reaching the middle of his torso. "You're wasting my time…"

"No, wait!" the ninja shouted when the sand reached his chin, "I have no idea about who they are, but someone did hear about a group of ninja who have been attacking people. Last time I heard about them, it was said that one Jounin from my village managed to injure one of them deeply. That was four days ago."

"And who are those ninja?" Gaara asked in the same tone, the sand still swirling around the other ninja's body.

"I don't know, I think someone categorized them as being ninja from Kusagakure, but since they never showed up again, we decided not to do anything about it!"

Suddenly the sand retreated back to the gourd, and Naruto sent an impressive look at Gaara, who simply humph'ed before turning around, and start walking away, Maiko following him. Yes, it was always the same thing; someone _always_ managed to get to Gaara's bad side…

"Sorry for breaking your leg!" Naruto apologized as he turned around, and dashed after Gaara and Maiko. They had agreed not to leave Maiko alone in Amegakure, at least, not until they found her older sister. After that, they would take the two girls to a safe place, and only afterwards they would go to the first village that had unjustly accused them.

They would go to Konohagakure.

**To Be Continued…**


	7. The Present Past

**Disclaimer: **Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I want to thank **Silvan Arrow**, **Tainted wings black and white**, **AlexiaWinters**, **TrapedSoul**, **srprasanna**, **Vld**, **harem-no-jutsu69**, **Terenin** _and_ **city with no people** for everything! You guys rock!

**Chapter 6**

_The Present Past_

He had called her worthless again.

He had once again said that she was too weak even be called the heiress of the Hyuuga clan.

During her childhood those words had been like poison, consuming her body in a deadly slow pace, but now that she was older it did not matter anymore. Her father's words still hurt more than stick and stones, but now she would simply excuse herself, and leave his side.

All that mattered was that she knew she had changed. What mattered was that _he_ knew she was different…

And that was all she wanted.

Hinata stopped walking when she reached the old swing in front of the Academy. She would always find him there, sitting in the small wooden plank while grasping the rope with both his hands. But, of course, all those moments belonged to the time when they were younger; now it was her who would often sat down on that swing and remember all those bittersweet memories.

In that place, on that swing, she would fall back into her past.

With a gentle touch, Hinata grabbed the old rope, and sat down. Almost immediately she looked up, at the strong branches of the tree, covered by green leaves. The loneliness that surrounded that place was so brutally real that it was almost palpable.

Just like the pain she would always find in his eyes.

Hinata had been told about what was to happen, and she could not help but fear for the future. She had been told how Naruto had showed up, and how everyone blamed him. But this time there was more than just the need to blame someone, there was also revulsion and repugnance.

And it pained Hinata to know that all those negative feelings were being directed to the only person who did not deserve them.

"Hinata."

With a small gasp, the girl looked away from the tree's branches, and felt her breathe get stuck in her throat when her pale eyes meet a pair of sapphire-blue ones.

What was he doing there?

"Na-Naruto-kun!"

A moment of silence surrounded them as a fresh breeze started to play with their hairs. However, before Hinata could even ask about what he could be doing there when his future was being decided in the Hokage's office, Naruto surprised her with his smile.

But that smile emanated everything except happiness. Hinata had learnt a long time ago to see if his smiles where honest or not, and the one she was seeing now was a mask.

"Sorry if I scared you."

"I-It's okay, I shouldn't have dozed off like that." Hinata said with a small shake of her head, and it was then that she noticed how her grip on the rope had increased. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I just missed this place, that's all." Naruto replied, now glancing around, the same smile on his face. "I guess we never know how something is important to us until we lose it."

"You miss being at the Academy?" Hinata questioned in her soft tone of voice, but her heart skipped a beat when Naruto looked at her again. Why was he looking so sad? Why was he struggling with himself just to put that fake smile on his face?

"We spent our childhood here, I'm sure everyone misses it." Naruto commented before glancing at the Academy's building. "Though I must say I'm happy to see that you changed. You're still too shy for your own good, Hinata, but you managed to get stronger. And I'm happy for being your friend."

"Naruto-kun…"

"I just hope you don't change too much, Hinata." the blond continued, now looking at the girl again. "I think you're a great person, and I hope you won't allow anyone to change you into what they expect you to be."

This time, Hinata noticed it; the aching hint in Naruto's voice.

"Naruto-kun, w-what…why are you talking like this?" Hinata finally questioned, but she almost fell off the swing when a pair of arms suddenly pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.

The scent of ramen was now in the air…

Warmness was spreading through her whole body…

And a silk cheek was touching hers…

"Thank you for watching my back during all those missions, Hinata." Naruto whispered, and Hinata's widened eyes closed shut as she continued to welcome the embrace. The only reason why she was not treasuring that moment had to do with the sadness that was starting to consume her body.

It was all clear now.

Why he was behaving like that.

"Take care of yourself, Hinata." Naruto's strong voice echoed through her mind, and Hinata unconsciously nodded. When the wind suddenly caressed her cheeks, however, Hinata's eyelids fluttered open, this time to reveal unshed tears…forbidden tears that found their freedom through the single silver tear that managed to escape from the girl's eye.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata whispered when her brain finally processed the fact that Naruto had already faded into the shadows. Silently, Hinata pressed both her hands against her chest, and all those invisible tears finally started streaming down her cheeks as she lowered her head.

"Hinata, are you alright?"

With an 'eh?' the Hyuuga heiress snapped from her memories, her eyes leaving the powerful yet sad-looking Full Moon as she focused her attention on the person sitting beside her. Sakura stared back at her, a concerned look on her face.

"I asked if you're alright." Sakura repeated, still looking worried, and Hinata could not help but smile faintly at her.

"Yes, I'm fine, I was just…reminiscing."

"Hinata, I know we haven't really been friends, but there's something I would like to tell you." Sakura started, and the other girl nodded. "I hope we can be friends. I mean, I know we're completely different, and that we haven't been close, but… Now that I think about it, we _do_ have something in common."

Yes, they did have something that perhaps could help a friendship to spring.

"I would like that." Hinata whispered, the smile still on her face, and Sakura smiled back at her before continuing to eat the dinner that Kiba and Shino had prepared for the night.

Hinata, on the meantime, glanced down at the fruit that she was holding with both her hands before gazing at the Full Moon again. They were going to find him…they were going to bring Naruto back, and she would tell him what she truly thought about him.

* * *

She remembered her mother's words when she was walking through the front door. Her mother had told her to be strong, to be courageous, and never to be ashamed to cry. Her mother told her that regardless of her age, she was strong and a very sweet person, who had an amazing future ahead of her.

But she really did not agree with her mother.

How could she be strong and courageous when she was even scared of looking from behind Garaa? She was afraid of what could be happening, and she did want to cry.

But she was not going to cry, because she believed in Naruto and in Gaara.

She believed that they would keep their word, and bring her big sister back.

As she continued to follow Gaara, her right hand grasping his left one as they walked, Maiko bite her lower lip, and gazed down at the ground. They had been walking for hours now, and even though she was beginning to feel tired, she refused to voice it. Her father had taught her that to become stronger meant to suffer. Not that Maiko really understood what her father meant with that, but whatever it was, Maiko was positive that it involved her wish of closing her eyes and sleep.

However, when Maiko's eyelids were dropping, her ears caught something, and the girl returned to her conscious self. Without even thinking about what she was doing, Maiko stopped her tracks, and started looking around in confusion. By now both Naruto and Gaara had stopped to watch her, but the girl simply continued to ignore them.

The wind…

There was something in it…

"Onee-chan!" Maiko shouted before she could stop herself, but she only had time to let go of Gaara's hand and run forward before being stopped by Naruto. "That's onee-chan! I have to go to her!"

"Maiko, that's not possible, we just crossed the borders between the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass." Naruto tried to say as he rested both his hands on the girl's shoulders, in order to prevent her from running away from him. "Besides, what's the possibility of finding your sister without actually getting into a fight?"

"But that's my onee-chan, I can hear her!" Maiko exclaimed as she started struggling, and Naruto glanced at Gaara, who was watching everything with a stoic expression. "I know it's her! Let me go!"

"Listen, Maiko, we haven't come all this way just to let you run off by yourself." Naruto started in a serious tone, and the girl finally stopped struggling, and gazed at him with her big eyes. "We're going with you, but you must promise me you'll stay by Gaara's side the whole time. If the guys who took your sister are around, they can try to hurt you."

"Okay…" Maiko whispered with a short nod, and Naruto patted the girl on the top of her head before gazing at Gaara, who simply nodded in return.

"Okay, so where do you think your sister is?" Naruto questioned suddenly, and Maiko bite her lower lip before pointing to her left. "How do you know it's your sister, and not someone else?"

"I can't explain, otousan and okaasan don't understand it either." Maiko tried to explain as the three of them started walking towards the direction she had pointed to. "I just know it's onee-chan."

"But you can sense she's close or something?" Naruto questioned, and Maiko looked up at him before shaking her head. "Then, you just believe she's that way?"

"No, I _know_ she's that way!" Maiko corrected, and Naruto looked at Gaara, who simply rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Onee-chan says it's our bond… I don't know how to explain it either."

"Fine, it won't hurt to go check it out." Naruto muttered, "But hey, you never told us what your sister does."

"She's a medical-nin!" Maiko exclaimed, and she surprised the two young adults with the huge smile that enlightened her face. "Like okaasan! She sings too!"

"Oh really?" Naruto asked in surprise, and Maiko nodded vigorously, the smile never leaving her face. If there was something she loved about her sister, that would be her voice. Maiko would often heard her parents say that her sister was known for her voice and not her medical skills, though Maiko never truly understood why.

"I'll tell her to sing to you!" Maiko exclaimed, but she quieted down when Gaara suddenly grabbed her upper-arm, and pulled her behind him. In confusion, Maiko cowered behind the young man's gourd, her eyes locked with the tall and strong trees in front of them.

"Onee-chan…" Maiko whispered as her tiny hands leaning against the gourd's as she tried to see something besides Naruto and Gaara's backs.

"Maiko, listen to us, you're going to stay here, and don't make any noise." Maiko heard Naruto hiss, and she nodded. "No matter what happens don't leave this spot, alright? Gaara and I will come pick you up as soon as it's clear."

"Okay…"

After sharing one look, Gaara and Naruto gave one step forward before being forced to jump in different directions when kunais were suddenly thrown at them, explosive tags tied up to them. Maiko only had time to see those flying weapons coming towards her before sand started to surround her, creating a shield. As she panted, feeling too nervous about what was going on to even think, Maiko rested a hand against the sand, and blinked when she felt it harden under her skin.

However, when Maiko was about to withdraw her hand, the sand started falling, allowing the girl to gasp at what she saw in front of her. Five Narutos were in front of her, fighting against three ninja that Maiko had never seen before, and Gaara was not too far behind, using his sand to attack his opponents.

"Well, well, well, look at what we have here?" a taunted voice spoke, and Maiko looked at the tree just above Naruto, and her eyes widened when she saw a man with spiky green hair.

Spiky green hair…and those taunting golden eyes…she has seen them from somewhere…

"Let me guess, you're the tugs that were bothering Amegakure." Naruto hissed as kicked one ninja before swirling around, and look at the ninja who was standing on the branch. "Well, let me invite you to come down!"

Suddenly the other four Naruto joined him, and immediately jumped towards the remaining ninja, who continued smirking. Then, with a quick movement with his wrist, Naruto grabbed the ninja's arm, and pushed him off the branch.

"Let's go guys!" Naruto shouted as the Kusagakure ninja continued falling, and the first clone appeared beside the opponent before kicking him.

"U!"

"Zu!"

"Ma!"

"Ki!"

"Naruto Rendan!" the real Naruto screamed as he emerged in front of the Kusagakure ninja, and quickly kicked him from above, sending the wounded ninja to the ground. One by one the clone Naruto disappeared in clouds of smoke, and the real Naruto fell on the ground, on his feet, his hands on his hips.

"C'mon guys, be serious!" the blond complained when he noticed that he had pretty much knocked everyone out with one punch each. "Argh, what's wrong with you? You should be helping me training and not allowing me to knock you out with one finger!"

"Uzumaki, control yourself." Gaara spoke as he appeared next to the blond, his arms pressed against his chest. "It's obvious these are not real ninja from Kusagakure; if they were, they would have attacked us with flora and fauna."

"What? You mean these guys are just a fake?" Naruto asked with his eyes widened in surprise, but before Gaara could even look at him, an evil laugh echoed through the forest.

"So, you actually noticed, eh?" a voice asked suddenly, and both Gaara and Naruto looked over their shoulders only to see the green haired ninja standing behind them, with a smirk. "Clever, aren't ya? But I wonder what you're going to do next."

"Hum, in case you didn't notice, you were the one who lost…" Naruto pointed out as he sweatropped, but the other ninja simply continued to smirk before reaching out for something beside the tree that was next to him.

Maiko's eyes widened suddenly when the man pulled a person from behind the truck, a girl to be more precise. The girl's long and messy cobalt hair was hiding her face, but her clothes were dirty and even ripped in some places. However, since she had been pulled too hard, the girl quickly lost her balance, and fell on her knees.

"Man, do you really have to use that girl as a shield?" Naruto asked tiredly, but the other ninja just smirked. "It's always the same thing; can't people be original? Like, using yourself as a shield?"

"Not when it's you I'm fighting with." the ninja stated. "My name's Kunio, and in spite of what you people may thing, I _am_ from Kusagakure, and I know exactly who you two are. Well, at least I can recognize Sabaku no Gaara when I see him."

"Hey! What about me?" Naruto asked, but Kunio simply smirked before forcing the girl to stand up, and pull her in front of him, the girl's head still bending down.

"Everything was going well in Amegakure until one of my friends decided to fight a Jounin, and as expected he lost." Kunio continued. "I mean, how could I even expect him to win? We were supposed to have some fun in Amegakure, but the idiot just _had_ to lose, and consequently I was forced to go look for the closest medical-nin I could find."

"Who happened to be that girl, eh?" Naruto questioned with his right hand resting on his hip before closing his left one into a strong fist. "You really should let her go before I beat you up again."

"Well, think about it this way; any attack you may direct at me will have to go through her first." Kunio pointed out as he increased his grip on the girl's shoulders at same time he pulled her even closer to him. "So…who wants to be the first one?"

"Gaara, wait!" Naruto exclaimed when he saw sand leaving his friend's gourd, and then he shook his head before smirking. "There's only one way of combating him without injuring the girl, but before I do anything, Maiko cover your eyes."

In confusion, Maiko covered her eyes with her hands at same time she turned to Gaara, and pressed her forehead against the boy's side.

"Do you really think it's possible to attack me without hurting the girl first?" Kunio questioned, but Naruto simply smirked.

"Watch and learn." was all the boy said before raising his hands in front of his face. "Oiroke no Jutsu!"

Suddenly in place of Naruto emerged a nude woman, with small clouds hiding her intimate parts. Her long blond hair was pulled into two high ponytails while she threw Kunio a kiss, but nothing whatsoever happened. Then, the nude woman disappeared in a cloud of smoke, and Naruto appeared again with a thoughtful frown. Beside the ninja from Konohagakure was Gaara, twitching at his behaviour.

"Man, that didn't work? He's just like Ebisu…" Naruto muttered to himself before snapping his fingers, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Then, I know exactly what to do."

Then, before someone could even react, Naruto shouted 'Kage Bushin no Jutsu', and eight Narutos showed up around him. And, just like Naruto, all of them had a mischievous look on their faces.

"Hāremu no Jutsu!"

And before someone could explain what was going on, various female Naruto were surrounding Kunio while calling for his name. And finally, as expected, the ninja from Kusagakure finally got distracted, and released the girl moments before falling on the ground with an exaggerated nosebleed.

"_Yes!_ I knew he was going to fall for this one!" Naruto cheered as his clones disappeared into clouds of smokes, and he returned to his natural form. "I remember when the Third Hokage fell for this one too! Though, with him one girl was enough…"

Beside Naruto, Gaara was still twitching, his arms pressed against his chest while his eyes were closed.

"Onee-chan!" Maiko cried out suddenly when the other girl collapsed on the ground, on her knees, and she immediately went to her. "Onee-chan!"

"M…Maiko?" the other girl finally whispered before looking up, revealing her wounded left cheek, and her dark indigo-blue eyes. However, the confused expression on her face faded into one of relief when she saw her younger sister. "Oh, Maiko!"

"Onee-chan!" Maiko shouted again before jumping into her sister's awaiting arms, tears already rolling down her face. "I found you, onee-chan!"

"I'm so glad you're alright…" the older girl whispered as she continued holding her sister gently, a smile on her, but moments she pulled the girl away from her with a tender gesture. "But how did you manage to find me?"

"Gaara-san and Naruto-san helped me, nee-chan!" Maiko exclaimed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and then she turned to her side in order to stare at the said ninja. "They found me at the desert, and decided to help me find you!"

"They found you in t-" the older girl trailed off, and her eyes widened in shock. "Oh no, the Kazekage! He's going to be extremely furious when he finds out that I haven't arrived on time, he'll…"

"Excuse me err….miss, but what are you talking about?" Naruto cut in as he stepped closer to the two girls, Gaara watching the two of them with an alert expression on his face. "Why did we find Maiko on the desert?"

"I hum…when I left Kirigakure, my parents asked me to bring Maiko with me for many reasons." the girl started before allowing Maiko to wrap her tiny arms around her neck, "One of them was because there's going to be a convention in Sunagakure about medicines, which caught my attention, and I sent a letter to the Suna's Council questioning if I could go. And apparently my request caught the Kazekage's attention, and they accepted to welcome me."

"And who's the Kazekage from Sunagakure?" Naruto questioned cautiously, but none of them noticed Gaara's eyes widen slightly in surprise when the girl answered.

"I was told his name is Kankurou."

**To Be Continued…**

Okay, as you noticed, fights aren't my thing, but I hope you guys don't mind _too_ much. I ask for forgiveness about all the fights that will be written in the future. Thank you for the attention.


	8. Twilight of Wishes

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I want to thank **Terenin**, **Silvan Arrow**, **kitsune no kasai**, **maeta**, **AlexiaWinters**, **mipilopolus**, **Vld**, **DaiCrazy**, **Shadw** _and_ **city with no people** for everything! I promise all the questions you guys asked will be answered…eventually!

* * *

**Chapter 7**

_Twilight of Wishes_

Wood was succumbing to the fire's will, allowing the red, orange and yellow flames to break through the thick darkness. The stars on the sky above appeared to be dancing with the shadows of the night while the majestic Full Moon continued making its way towards its throne, on the top of the sky.

But for him the nature's beauty was cold and lifeless, filled with too much silver and grey to calm his tortured soul down.

For him, the night had lost its playful side a long time ago, and surprisingly not even his book was helping him to relax. Sure he had read it many times, but his mind no longer grasped the illusion inside those pages and made him become oblivious of his surroundings.

But the problem no longer belonged exclusively to his currently mission. No, his problem was now connected with both his past and his present. To his old team mates, to his mentor, to his own students, and to his…

As he shook his head, Kakashi lowered the book he had been trying to read, and mentally sighed. It was still painful to think about his team mates; sure he talked about the subject in a natural manner, but his heart would always ache.

His adolescence would forever be like an old wound that never truly healed. Not that Kakashi was expecting it to heal, but he sure wondered what would happen as soon as he discovered what he was supposed to locate.

That would be the same as facing a raged feline, but at least that was already expected.

"Kakashi."

Silently, Kakashi tore his eyes off the fire. Apparently the magic of the flames had bewitched him without him noticing it. When he looked to his side, the male Jounin found himself staring at a small dog with a blue jacket protecting its back.

"Pakkun, did you find anything?"

"I'm afraid not, but we're still far from Takigakure." the dog replied, and Kakashi found himself staring at the fire again. If his mind still recalled everything correctly, then…

"Our goal is not Takigakure." Kakashi finally spoke, and the dog entitled it's head to the side in confusion. "We'll go in that direction, but I doubt we're going to find her there."

"What makes you think that?" Pakkun questioned. "She may be interested in coming back."

"She spent seven years running away from us; her choice was made when she left the village without informing anyone." Kakashi explained, melancholy consuming his soul as the fire continued to rule over the wood. "She left without explaining why…"

"Last time we talked about this, you told me you already knew the answer." Pakkun pointed out, and Kakashi glanced at the dog before opening his book again, and stare down at the pages.

"I lied."

* * *

All he could think about was the purpose of that mission. Not that he had something against Uzumaki, but he could not help but think that for them to be sent after him just had to include something else. There was no other possible explanation for what was going on; people just did not gather four Jounin and seven Chuunin to go after _one_ person without having a good reason to do so.

But what could be the reason to want Uzumaki Naruto back? Sure they had been unfair with him, but was it really necessary to send _three_ teams after _one_ guy?

Well, apart from of that top secret reason, Hyuuga Neji also had a personal one. One that was linked with the person he was supposed to protect all the time, giving his own life for her if required.

Hinata.

Their relationship was still raw, but Neji was learning how to look at Hinata and see the future heiress of the Hyuuga clan. The heiress that he was supposed to protect, but truth was that he was falling his mission.

Yes, he could protect Hinata from any opponent that could try to physically injure her, but there was someone Neji was unable to beat.

And that person was Hinata herself.

Despite the fact he knew it was against the laws and norms of the clan, Neji had silently witnessed Hinata's feelings growing while her attention focused in Naruto. At the beginning, Neji had been completely against such behaviour, but as time continued to pass, Neji found himself understanding Hinata.

After all, Naruto was, for lack of words, a very bizarre person, who continuously behaved like a twelve year-old. But it was also true that Naruto was the only one stopping Hinata (most likely unconsciously) from becoming another member from the Hyuuga clan…. He was the one stopping Hinata from becoming just another person who lived for appearances and power.

And that was why Neji had to succeed on that mission.

Because he had noticed _it._

He had noticed how Hinata had returned to her shell as soon as Naruto left the village. He had noticed how Hinata had started to train harder and harder, thinking about nothing except the day when Naruto would return and see that she had changed.

And Neji had also heard Hinata's whispered sobs and seen her longing look when gazing at the sky.

And that was why.

That was the reason why Neji had accepted that mission; he _was_ going to find and take Naruto back to Konoha even if that meant beating the crap out of him first.

And it was useless to say that that thought was very appealing too.

"Say, what do you guys think of all this?" Tenten asked suddenly as she leaped towards another branch. "Do you really think we're the ones who are going to find Naruto?"

"Well, the only thing I can say is that Naruto is going to be in trouble no matter which team finds him first." Lee started, and Tenten looked confusedly at him. "Well, in every team there's at least one person who wants to kill him, so…"

At those words, Neji smirked before activating his Byakugan. The path was clear, and if it continued that way they were going to reach the Land of Lightning on schedule. However, as he continued scanning the area, Neji could not help but grow suspicious.

He had once been told that when Naruto left Konohagakure rumours and warnings had started to spread through all the countries. Most of the rumours were incredibly far-fetched, since most of them mentioned one monster wandering around in human form. As for the warnings, Neji knew that all those had been sent to every village by some of the Leaf villagers, explaining that it was crucial to keep a sharp eye.

Neji knew that the Godaime had stopped most of the warnings from leaving Konoha, but of course at least one had managed to escape. And that was probably one of the reasons why Tsunade had sent the teams after Naruto.

But the question was; why was everyone so worried about a hyper shinobi? Sure there was the problem with Uchiha Sasuke, but was that enough reason for all that commotion?

And even though he did not believe in rumours, Neji could not help but ask himself why people always mentioned a monster every time the name 'Naruto' came up.

* * *

With a sigh, Tsunade rubbed her temples at same time she closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Documents seemed to spring from the ground because every time she finished signing a pile, another one would emerge from out-of-nowhere.

And it was all Naruto's fault.

In order to make sure everything went smoothly, Tsunade had to sign contracts and documents. Most of those papers were to be sent to the other villagers, requesting for any report that could lead to Naruto's whereabouts.

But in the middle of all those documents was one single letter that Tsunade herself had written.

A letter that was to be sent to Sunagakure.

Tsunade had been informed about what the Council had decided to do with Gaara, and she had been unable not to dislike the sand shinobi's decision. To ban someone just because the villagers could not understand the mysteries that surrounded that same person was despicable.

Though Tsunade knew she should not be the one to talk.

In silence, Tsunade grabbed the paper that was on top of the pile beside her, on the desk, and stared down at the black words that she had written.

The Suna Council had also agreed to chose a new Kazekage.

He was not on the same level as Gaara, but then again few were the ones that were. But even though that was not her business, Tsunade could not help but judge the Council's decision; Kankurou was a great shinobi, but he simply did not have what it took to watch over an entire village.

"Oi, I heard you wanted to talk to me." a male voice spoke suddenly, and Tsunade immediately started to twitch at same time she lowered the letter.

"You were supposed to report back one month ago." the Hokage hissed still twitching. "Where the hell have you been?"

"C'mon Tsunade, girls are growing hotter by the minute; can you blame a man for watching over this new generation?"

"Damn it, you pervert!" Tsunade snapped as she stood up, and turned around only to face a man on his fifties, sitting on the window-frame. "Jiraiya, I _told_ you to report back even if you didn't find anything new. I didn't request, I _ordered_ you to report back!"

"You told me never to reveal my position to the enemy, therefore I couldn't report back." Jiraiya stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, yet a hint of seriousness was on his words. "You told me not to send anything if that risked my life, remember?"

"Damn it, you old pervert, next time I'll just snap your neck!" Tsunade hissed, and Jiraiya raised an eyebrow slightly at her words. "I was forced to send the teams with no proper information because you decided to satisfy your hormones!"

"You know, if you're worried about me, you could just say so."

That did it.

"You idiot!" Tsunade screamed before grabbing Jiraiya by the collar, and throw him directly at the wall just beside the door. Then, Tsunade sat down on her chair again, arms pressed against her chest as she continued twitching. "Just tell me what you found."

"I found out that they're going to visit Sunagakure soon." Jiraiya started, still stuck into the wall, upside-down, and Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "I can't say when, but it looks like it will be soon. And afterwards, they're coming here."

"Where did you find them?"

"In Kirigakure. It seems to me that they have a peculiar interest in Gaara and Naruto." Jiraiya added still in the same position. "I believe it's better if the teams find them soon. Whatever Akatsuki may be preparing, it certainly won't be pretty."

"We can't risk losing any more time." Tsunade muttered before gazing at the closed door of the office. "Shizune!"

"While we wait, mind giving me a hand?" Jiraiya asked, but he sighed when Tsunade glared at him, and moments later the door of the office swung open, and Shizune entered.

"You called, Tsunade-sama?" the black haired woman questioned, and Tsunade sent one last glare at Jiraiya before turning to her assistant.

"Yes, contact Anko; I want her team to start searching for anything that can indicate where Akatsuki is!" the Hokage ordered in a strong voice, and Shizune nodded. "And tell Ibiki to be ready; we never know when we'll need him."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Shizune replied shortly before bowing, and then she left the office with quick steps, closing the door behind her.

"You know, I forgot to give you one information." Jiraiya said as he finally dropped his legs, and stood up before dusting himself off. "Well, it's more like you decided to throw me before I had the chance to tell you."

"What did you forget to tell me?" Tsunade questioned before resting her right hand on the desk, and a dark look washed over Jiraiya's face.

"It's about Naruto, and the _real_ reason why he left the village." the Sannin started, and Tsunade narrowed her eyes again. "And this also includes Sabaku no Gaara."

"Orochimaru." Tsunade whispered, and Jiraiya nodded. "What did the snake do this time?"

"Everything."

**To Be Continued…**


	9. Decisions of a Lifetime

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I want to thank **Anarchyx25x**, **Terenin**, **DaiCrazy**, **love comes and goes**, **Silvan Arrow**, **SPARTANIIx118**, **Animefan268**, **Darkhope**, **city with no people** _and_ **AlexiaWinters** for everything. You guys are the best!

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Decisions of a Lifetime_

_"His name is…Kankurou…"_

For Gaara, his brother had always been someone who never refused challenges, and who didn't mind challenging either. For him, Kankurou was a man who knew how to use words to make someone fall into his traps, mostly by using his confidence as bait.

But…Kazekage?

During his last year in Sunagakure, Gaara had grown closer to his siblings, especially Kankurou, and…well, just like he had confessed his dreams, Kankurou had done the same. And Gaara knew his brother wanted to help Sunagakure, but he could also remember Kankurou saying he was happy for being a ninja; one ninja among all the others that protected the Hidden Village Among Sand.

That was the only reason why Gaara found it so difficult to believe in Mairi's words. They had found her at the break of exhaustion, but even now, that she was slowly recovering, Mairi kept saying that she was correct.

But could that truly be?

"So, they attacked you because they knew you're a medical-nin?" Naruto questioned as he watched Mairi heal her elbow with her right hand. Slowly, the said girl looked up, and shrugged.

"Yes, I think so." Mairi started. "I mean, when they took me to their hiding-place, one of their team mates was injured badly, and they forced me to watch over him. I don't know how they knew I was a medical-nin…sometimes I think they just decided to take the risk."

"And they hit you because you couldn't help their team mate?" Naruto asked, and Mairi put a lock of hair behind her ear as she examined her elbow before moving her arm in circles, observing if everything was alright.

"Well, you probably know that we, medical-nin, use our chakra to do most of things, but we can't depend on our chakra alone." Mairi started to explain, and Naruto nodded. "I guess they really didn't know much about that subject, because they kept forcing me to heal their friend."

"So, at the end, you were…unable to help him?"

"Well, at the end I managed to convince them it was better to take him to a place where he could be treated properly." Mairi confessed as she stopped moving her arm around, a smile of relief on her face. "I guess if you hadn't show up, they would have killed me."

"So, I guess you're lucky, eh?" Naruto asked with a smile, and Mairi chuckled as she continued to look at him. "But hey, tell me more about Kankurou being the new Kazekage."

"I'm afraid I can't tell you anything else, since I was on my way to Sunagakure." Mairi said before licking her lips, her attention focused on the little girl who was using her lap as a pillow as she continued to sleep. "My father said that Kankurou-sama was chosen recently though, but I'm not sure if that helps you."

"Did your father tell you when he was chosen to be the Kazekage?" Naruto pressed on, but Mairi shook her head before muttering an apology. "Oh well, I guess I just really want to know what's going on."

"Oh, I just remembered I haven't thank you properly for watching over my sister." Mairi spoke suddenly, her eyes widening in surprise. "How did you find her?"

"Well, like I said, you're lucky; Gaara and I were just wandering through the desert when we found her." Naruto replied as he rested his hands behind his neck, and leaned against the tree behind him. "Man, you two are very lucky people, did you know that?"

"I'm just thankful that you two were the ones who saved my sister." Mairi said as she started running her fingers through Maiko's hair. "When they took me away…I was afraid she would end up lost in the desert, and then…" a moment of silence, "My parents would never forgive me if something happened to her."

"So, do you want us to accompany you or something?" Naruto inquired, and Mairi looked from her sister to him. "I mean, we want to go to Konoha, but I guess it won't be any trouble to take you safely to Suna first."

"Oh no, that's alright, you've done too much for us already." Mairi said with a small shake of her head. "I just hope the Kazekage understands the reason for my delay, but it will be understandable if he sends me back to Kirigakure."

"He won't do that." Gaara spoke suddenly before he could control himself, but his stoic expression did not quiver when Mairi looked surprised at him. "He'll most likely understand you, and even try to offer you some comfort in the village."

"Do…do you know Kankurou-sama?" Mairi questioned as she continued to observe him, now with a curious expression, but Gaara simply glanced up at the sky, his arms pressed against his chest."

"…Yes." he finally answered, memories of his brother and sister flashing in his mind as he continued to watch the sky being painted with the colours of the sunrise. Even though they had moved away from the place where they had first found Mairi, both Gaara and Naruto decided it was best to make a pause since Maiko was at break of exhaustion and Mairi was in no condition to travel either. "…And I know he will understand."

"You're from Sunagakure, aren't you?" Mairi asked, and when Gaara glanced at her by the corner of her eyes, she smiled faintly. "Your hitai-ate kind of told me, and you…" the girl turned to Naruto. "You are from Konohagakure, right?"

"I guess you can say that." Naruto said as he unconsciously caressed his hitai-ate with the tip of his fingers, and Mairi blinked at his words. "Anyway, what about you resting a little bit too? I'm sure we can decide what to do later."

"Oh no, I'm fine." Mairi started, but before she could continue, Gaara spoke up.

"You may be fine, but the child obviously isn't." he pointed out, and once again Mairi turned to him. "Just rest. We'll leave as soon as the sun rises. We'll keep watch."

"Oh, hum…alright." Mairi whispered before leaning against the tree behind her, and it was only after finding a comfortable position, since Maiko using her legs as a pillow, that Mairi closed her eyes.

After a few minutes, Gaara glanced at Naruto, silently indicating it was time to walk away from the two girls for a short period of time. Even though a mask of confusion was on his face, Naruto nodded, and the two of them made their way towards another tree, and quickly jumped to a branch.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Naruto questioned as he sat down on the branch, and rose his left knee so he could rest his arm on it while Gaara continued standing, arms pressed against his chest.

"We leave them in the next village we find." Gaara answered in a tone that was supposed not to leave any space for discussion, but Naruto blinked before entitling his head to the side.

"You're kidding, right?" the blond asked, but Gaara simply pressed his arms against his chest. "Listen, I understand they weren't in our plans, but I don't think it's wise to leave them alone."

"They're not coming with us."

"Why not? I mean, fine, it's only a medical-nin and a kid, but have you actually looked at them?" Naruto asked, gazing down at Mairi and Maiko. "It's probable that Mairi doesn't know how to fight very well, not to mention she's injured and has to look after Maiko."

"It was foolish from your part to get attached to the child." Gaara pointed out, still with his stoic expression, "What do you expect to do if we take them with us? What are you going to do if we're attacked? You said it yourself, if they come with us, they'll probably just stand in the way."

"You know Gaara, I knew you had a strange way of protecting those you actually like, but do you really think that's by pushing them away that we're going to be fine?" Naruto asked before shrugging. "I mean, having a medical-nin with us is not that bad; we do get into a lot of fights you know?"

"You're not going to shut up until I agree, are you?" Gaara asked, and Naruto smiled sheepishly at him before shaking his head. Then, Gaara glanced at the two sleeping girls, before focusing his attention back to Naruto, his blank expression never quivering. "You're the one who's going to watch over them."

"Sure thing!"

* * *

That place was as empty as the souls that lived inside. There was absolutely nothing that could offer some kind of comfort, and there was certainly no possible way for light to lighten those dark and old walls. But that was the purpose of that place; too gloomy to be blessed with any kind of joy, too bloodcurdling to bring any sort of comfort to the souls locked inside of it.

Without even bothering to glance at those who were locked behind bars, she made her way towards the furthest cell of that place, a wave of authority following her like a shadow. She was there for a purpose, and she was not going to leave without the answers she needed.

"Sasuke." Tsunade spoke as she turned to the bars, her arms pressed against her chest, her hair falling down her back. Her amber eyes quickly found the shadow that was slowly getting mixed with the darkness, and her muscles tensed up. "I believe you know what brings me here."

Tsunade knew that that was correct; after all that was not the first time she was there, and by look of things, it was not going to be the last one. Tsunade just hoped that this time Sasuke did cooperate, or things would become more difficult for him.

But once again, all that answered the Hokage's words was silence.

"Sasuke," Tsunade started again, still with an impassive expression on her face, "you are fully aware of the consequences of your actions. So why don't you just talk to me, and tell me what I want to hear?"

Silence.

Tsunade mentally took a deep breath.

"I cannot delay this any longer; you're conscious of what may happen if you continue with this behaviour." the woman continued, her eyes locked with the quiet form, sitting on the ground on the left side of the cell. "So, I'm going to ask this one last time; are you aware of what's going to happen or not?"

Once again, there was only silence, but this time, Tsunade narrowed her eyes; it seemed that he was expecting them to use the hard way to take some information out of him. And unfortunately Tsunade was too tired to actually try to think about other way to fix everything…

Without bothering to say anything, the Hokage turned around, and started walking towards the only exit of that place when a haunting voiced echoed through the hall.

"This is very interesting…"

As she stopped her tracks, Tsunade continued staring at the locked door in front of her, her arms now resting on her sides. She did not have to turn around to hear him.

"And to think that after all these years this village became so weak."

"If you want to say something, Sasuke, say it now; stop wasting my time." Tsunade muttered loud enough for the boy to hear, and slowly she turned to her side, so that she was facing the cell again. "Do you have any value information that can help us?"

"Allow me to savour this moment…" Sasuke said, and silence wrapped around them like a bitter sheet. "Ah yes, I will never forget the day the _great_ Godaime came to ask a recluse for help."

"You're just talking Sasuke, but until now I haven't heard anything that can be of some use to us." Tsunade pointed out, and slowly Sasuke turned his head to her, revealing his blank black eyes. "You're just wasting my time."

"Worried about Naruto, I see." Sasuke pointed out when Tsunade turned to the door again, and then he chuckled. "Always going after the scared-cat, trying to save his ass… I thought that the great Konohagakure knew how to survive without him by now."

"Do you or do you not know what's to happen?" Tsunade repeated, trying desperately to stay in control. If she lost her nerve, and broke one of the walls, ANBU would be having a long night ahead, trying to catch all the fugitives.

"I believe the answer to that question is rather simple." Sasuke started, and Tsunade narrowed her eyes as she looked at him again, only to notice the wicked smirk on his face. "I shall answer yes, that I know what's to happen, but like all the guys here, I refuse to say what I know. And we both know what happens now."

"You were the genius of Rookie 9." Tsunade started, her voice revealing a slight wave of melancholy. "You had the best team mates and the best teacher, and yet you became the most despicable person I've ever meet, and at such an early age. But I guess that being Orochimaru's most beloved follower has it's positive aspects."

"Unfortunately, it seems that faith isn't going to repeat itself." Sasuke replied, and Tsunade arched an eyebrow slightly. "Not with a scared-cat like the baka… Tsk, I hope you have the decency of not picking him of all people, but even if you do…I'm sure things can be altered."

"Yes, I'm sure they can." Tsunade repeated, "And as a way of proving my courtesy, I'm going to send someone to make you company. Just make sure you enjoy his sojourn here because by looks of things he won't leave this place any time soon."

With those words, Tsunade turned around, and with quick steps she made her way out of the room. She was not going to give Sasuke the pleasure to see that he had managed to irritate her.

As soon as she walked through the door, and watched it being closed behind her, Tsunade looked to her side, and saw Shizune standing there. It was time to make a decision…a decision of a lifetime…

"Tell Morino Ibiki to come here immediately."

* * *

That was going to be such a hot day, but then again, in that place, every new dawn meant high temperatures, and the warm wind that came from west did not help either. Most people were used to it, but there were still those who often complained that something should be done to offer more shades to the village.

But of course that since they were living in the middle of a desert, it was a bit complicated to plant trees or anything else – other than buildings – that could offer enough shade for everyone.

With a sigh, she sat down on the pale blue sofa, her back now turned to the open window, her legs crossing immediately. She just loved to do that in the morning; to rest her head against the sofa's back, close her eyes, and feel the wind kissing her features.

Yep, despite of what people could think of her, she was a little lazy in the morning.

A smirk appeared on her lips as she recalled the only person she knew that was lazy, and that was actually proud of it. She had not seen him for a few months now, but his behaviour would always be in her mind.

That damn sloth.

Slowly her mind faded from the lazy guy to her own village, but more importantly, to her younger brother. They had lost track on him for almost one year, and even though they had received some reports with a few clues, it had became impossible to find him. But then again, they were looking for Sabaku no Gaara, and Temari knew that when her brother wanted to hide from everyone, he knew how to vanish.

And they could not do anything until he decided to reappear.

"Temari." a voice spoke suddenly, and the blonde snapped from her thoughts as she looked up only to stare at a young man, dressed in a black outfit. "I thought you were going to try to go to Konoha, and see if they found something about Gaara."

"I changed my mind; you know that if they find something, they're going to contact us." Temari replied, and the young man sat down beside her.

Even though he had not enjoyed one bit of the…promotion he had been given, Kankurou had decided that Sunagakure did need someone who could protect it. And even though both of them knew there was only one person who could watch over the village and villagers, Kankurou had decided to accept the job…until Gaara's return.

"You know, there's something I need to tell you." Kankurou started after a moment of silence, and Temari looked at him by the corner of her eyes. "We have been receiving some reports lately, that are starting to worry me. The Council isn't helping either, but I guess everyone's on the edge now."

"Reports? Why wasn't I informed?" Temari questioned as she arched an eyebrow in suspicion, and Kankurou stood up before gazing at the window behind the sofa. "When you were chosen to be the Kazekage, we agreed that you wouldn't keep me in the dark."

"I know, but I couldn't and I didn't want to tell you anything until we were certain of what was going on." Kankurou started, and this time Temari crossed her arms against her chest as she continued to stare at her brother. "All the reports we have been receiving lately mention Gaara."

"Gaara? And do they inform us about his whereabouts?" Temari questioned, standing up, her black kimono revealing her figure in a rather nice way. "What do they tell us?"

"Nothing much, but we just received one from Amegakure, informing us that some Chuunin were attacked by a Sand shinobi." Kankurou explained calmly, and Temari narrowed her eyes slightly. "And as you know, we haven't sent any shinobi to the Hidden Village in Rain for a long time now."

"Indeed, it doesn't make any sense." Temari nodded, "Unless…"

"Yes, that's exactly what I thought." Kankurou started with a quick nod as well. "Although it doesn't make any sense for Gaara to be in Amegakure, there's no other plausible explanation. Besides, the report indicated that the said shinobi was carrying a gourd."

"So, Gaara is in Amegakure?" Temari asked with a hint of hope in her words, but Kankurou shook his head.

"No, they clarify in the report that the Suna ninja left as soon as he found out what he wanted, and Temari…" Kankurou stopped for a moment, and the female ninja felt tension wrapping around her in a bone-crushing hug. "If this is indeed Gaara, then I must say he's not travelling alone. It's said that he was travelling with a Leaf shinobi and a kid."

"A what?" Temari asked in surprise. "A child is travelling with him? And a Leaf Shinobi? Who are they?"

"It's not explained in the report, but Temari, you know what Konoha did, and…well, it wouldn't be foolish to think about that possibility." Kankurou trailed off, and Temari thought about it for a moment.

"You think it's….Naruto?"

"Yes, I must admit I do." Kankurou answered with a short nod. "And there's something else you should be aware of." Temari looked at him, expecting to hear more. "In the report….apparently Gaara is after some ninja from Kusagakure."

"Kusagakure…" Temari whispered before narrowing her eyes, and gaze at her brother with determination. "I'm going."

**To Be Continued…**


	10. Eyes in the Shadows

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

»«»«»«

I want to thank **MissNaye**, **Terenin**, **SGCred**, **Watcher343**, **OkitaSei**, **Shadw**, **AlexiaWinters**, **FatalTitan**, **DaiCrazy** _and_ **Silvan Arrow** for everything. I would be lost without you guys!

»«»«»«

**Chapter 9**

_Eyes in the Shadows_

Three days…

If everything had occurred accordingly to plan, team 9 was just about to cross the border that lead to the Land of Earth. Gai's team was one day away from the Land of Lightning, while it was going to take two more days for her team to reach the Land of Water.

They were moving as fast as they could, and wasting just enough time to recover from their journey, which only showed how everyone really wanted to find clues about Naruto as fast as possible. Thankfully they had not run into any troubles, so they were right on schedule…. The only problem was the feeling that was bothering her ever since the previous night.

She could not find anything, not even with her Byakugan, but the feeling was still there.

The sensation that someone was following them…

With a small shake of her head, Hinata forced herself to snap from her thoughts, and leap towards another branch. Shino did not seem to be troubled, and Akamaru was behaving as usual so why couldn't she just shrug that feeling off?

As she clenched her right hand into a strong fist, Hinata found herself glancing at Sakura, who was just beside her. Apparently, Sakura was not worried about anything either, even though there was a frown on her face.

Hinata guessed Sakura was either thinking about Naruto or Sasuke.

With a tired sigh, Hinata stared at the path they had yet to trade; she was getting worried not only about her friends, but with Naruto as well. She had been told how people knew that a monster was wandering around, and even though Hinata did not really understand why people called Naruto 'monster', she knew they were referring to him.

After all, even her own father referred to Naruto as a monster.

"Hmm, something's off." Shino spoke suddenly, and Hinata looked at him in confusion.

"Yeah, everything's quiet." Kiba quickly added, as he also looked at the leader of the team. "_Too_ quiet, but Akamaru hasn't sensed anything, and Hinata…did you see anything suspicious?"

"No, I haven't noticed anything unusual." Hinata spoke in her soft tone, though she was now feeling a strange weight on her chest. What if she had failed to notice something? What if they were going to be ambushed, and all because she had been stupid enough not to detect something?

"No one can possibly be following us; not when Hinata has been using her Byakugan ever fifteen minutes." Sakura pointed it out, and everyone stared at each other as they continued jumping from branch to branch. "What do you think we should do?"

"Continue, but keep a sharp eye, we don't have time to be ambushed." Shino replied after a short silence, and Kiba raised both his eyebrows.

"Gee, who ever listens to you may think they need to make an appointment in order to ambush us." the member of the Inuzuka clan retorted sarcastically, and Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Well, I think he's right, you know?" Sakura asked as she looked at Kiba over her shoulder, "We ought to be careful if we w-_ah!_"

"Sakura!" Hinata called out as she watched the other female ninja falling in mid-air, and getting closer to the ground by the second.

Without wasting any more time, Shino suddenly shot a wire at Sakura, which immediately swirled around her arm and wrist at same time the member from the Aburame clan landed on a branch.

"Sakura, are you alright?" Hinata asked as she leaped towards the branch that was closer to the other girl, and she quickly helped Sakura to land on the strong branch. With a quick movement with her wrist, Hinata took the wire from her friend's arm, and helped her to stand up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm right, but what happened?" Sakura asked as she gazed up, at where Shino, Kiba and Akamaru were, staring down at them. "How on earth did I trip during a jump?"

"Perhaps you lost your balance…" Hinata thought out-loud before blushing faintly when Sakura stared at her as if she was crazy. "I-I mean, we have been travelling all day, and it's getting dark, so…"

"Hey, are you okay?" Kiba asked as he jumped from his branch, to another one just above the girls' position, and Shino quickly followed him. "Maybe we should stop for the night."

"But I didn't lost my balance!" Sakura tried to defend herself, and Hinata looked up only to gasp, her hand quickly covering her lips.

In confusion everyone looked up as well, and opened their eyes wide in surprise when they saw Akamaru standing above them. Wait, _standing_ was not even the right word, he was more like _floating_ above them…

"Akamaru, what the hell are you doing?" Kiba questioned in confusion, as he continued to observe his dog just floating over them. "Since when can you do that?"

At that Hinata could not help but sweatdrop, noticing that Sakura was looking at Kiba as if he was stupid, while Shino continued to stare at the dog in silence.

"The answer is quite simple, Leaf shinobi, he can't." a new voice explained, and everyone was immediately in their fighting stances as they turned around, and Hinata immediately activated her Byakugan.

There! Behind a tree just a few meters from their position.

It was a…

"Who the hell are you?" Kiba asked as he clenched both his fists. "What did you do to Akamaru?"

"What? Can't a person have some fun?" the voice questioned, and it was then that the person stepped from behind the tree, revealing her female form, her long teal coloured hair falling down to her waist while kissing her tanned features. "Especially when it means making fun of people who think that are too cool to keep their guard up."

"Leave Akamaru alone!" Kiba exclaimed, and the woman smirked, and Hinata could not help but notice the glint of mischievousness in the woman's mismatched eyes as she deactivated her Byakugan.

"Well, I could do that, but do you realise that if I let him go now, he'll smash against the ground?" the woman questioned, the smirk still playing on her lips.

"Who are you?" Shino inquired suddenly, and the woman rested her right hand on her hip, on the hem of her tight fitting black biker type shorts.

"Just someone who has been following you for a whole day." she replied before narrowing her eyes slightly. "And someone who really wants to see how good the Konoha shinobi have become. So, who wants to go first? And by all means, don't be shy."

However, before Hinata could even look at her friends to see what they were going to do, a strangely familiar voice echoed through the forest.

"That's enough, Mesi."

»«»«»«

People just knew when to be troublesome, and that annoyed him to no end. He did not understand what had happened, but everything sure had become a real drag. He had been expecting for Tsunade to send messages to all the other countries, warning about the teams she had sent, but apparently she had forgotten about it.

And they were the ones paying for her mistakes.

He knew they had waited for the sunset to attack, but he seriously did not know how they had gotten into that situation. Maybe it had been because of Ino's hysteria, but then again, Chouji's growling stomach could have revealed their position to the enemy.

Well, whatever had caused them to be surrounded, surely had worked.

"Do you have any other brilliant idea?" Ino hissed suddenly, and Shikamaru sighed; why was he the one who was always responsible? He did nothing but follow his team mates around, but it was always his fault when they ran into troubles…

"Yes, no matter how troublesome this is, I do have another idea." Shikamaru confessed before glancing at what was in front of them, holding various types of weapons. "It's time for the Shika-Ino-Chouji move."

"The what?" Ino asked confused before smacking Shikamaru on the back of his head. "We're about to die, and you dare to speak through riddles? What's your problem?"

"Ino, you're the one behaving as if we do this – and survive to tell the tale – all the time." Chouji spoke in a low tone, and Ino glared at him.

"Excuse us for interrupting the reunion, but we would like to have some attention." one of the elements of the gang pointed out suddenly, a wicked smile on his face. "I'm tired of waiting."

"I agree." another man spoke, his huge katana leaning against his shoulder. "Let's have some fun, but remember, the lass is mine."

Almost immediately, Ino jumped behind Chouji, a hand resting on his shoulder. As he continued to watch his two team mates, Shikamaru mentally sighed before turning to the gang, and narrow his eyes.

"Ino," he started in a surprisingly determined tone, and the blonde looked at him, "I'm going to catch them with my shadow, but you're going to use the Mind Body Switch Technique when I say it. You know what to do, and Chouji, get ready too."

"I'm tired of waiting, let's go get them!" a third member of the gang shouted, but only silence followed his words.

"You know, attacking people just because they look weak is pure stupidity for me." Shikamaru commented suddenly, and the whole gang looked down only to see a huge black shadow underneath them and that was connected with Shikamaru's feet. "Not to mention really troublesome too."

"What the hell…?" someone from the group started, but it was then that Shikamaru narrowed his eyes even more.

"Ino, now!"

"Hai!" Ino shouted before walking from behind Chouji, and raise her hands in front of her face. "Shintenshin no Jutsu!"

As soon as those words left her lips, Ino fell on the ground, and Shikamaru smirked when he saw the leader of the gang smirking back at him. Only this time, Shikamaru knew who was looking back at him.

"Chouji, Spiked Human Bullet Tank!" Shikamaru ordered, and his chubby friend nodded before shouting 'Nikudan Hari Sensha!'. Almost instantaneously, Chouji wrapped himself in a cloak of kunai, and after tucking his limbs inside his increased mass, and rolled towards the gang.

"Ino!" Shikamaru called out, and when he saw the leader of the gang nod, his shadow disappeared, and Ino returned to her body. Then, before someone from the gang could even understand what was going on, Chouji run over them, literally.

"Go Chouji!" Ino cheered with a fist up in the air, a wide smile on her face, and Shikamaru glanced at her before gazing at Chouji, who was already back to his normal figure.

"Damn, Asuma has been training you." a voice commented after a whistle, and the team looked up almost immediately.

"Ah man…" Shikamaru groaned when he saw who it was, and a mischievous glint emerged from the depths of a pair of brown eyes.

"Back off, you three, I'm the one who's going to deal with these idiots now."

"Yeah, but we're the ones who did the hard work." Shikamaru heard Ino growl under her breath, and he mentally sighed again.

However, before something could be said, a Jounin fell right in front of Shikamaru, short purple streaks dancing with the breeze.

"What are you doing here?" Ino asked as she stared at the person with annoyance, and the woman smirked at her.

"I'm here to save your butts." Mitarashi Anko answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Shikamaru dropped his shoulders in tiredness.

Things were going to become even more troublesome…

»«»«»«

He seriously did not understand why people called him pervert. All he did was appreciate the beauty that inhabited that world, and use it as his muse. And personally, he saw no problem in his actions.

Well, he actually believed that the problem was not in what he did, but the reason most people thought of to explain his behaviour. For them, he was just a man on his fifties, who spent most of his time alone to actually comprehend what's polite and what's not.

But the truth was that he knew what was respectful and what was not. Of course that most of the time he forgot his manners, but girls were indeed becoming amazingly hot, so he knew he had the perfect justification for his behaviour.

Everyone else, however, just kept calling him pervert.

"Jiraiya-sama, is there any particular reason for you to gather us all here?" a voice questioned suddenly, and the said Sannin tore his eyes away from Inuzuka Hana and Yuuhi Kurenai to look at the opposite direction.

"Yes, Tsunade would be here as well, but she has some business to take care with Ibiki, so I decided to start this meeting alone." Jiraiya started, and one-by-one, all the present adults focused their eyes on him.

"Is Konoha in danger?" Yamanaka Inoichi questioned, a sombre look on his face, and Jiraiya leaned his back against a wall, his arms pressed against his chest.

"Not at the moment, but the reason for this meeting has to do with Konoha's security." Jiraiya started, and everyone waited to hear more. "As you all know, three of the strongest teams of Konoha have left the village."

"To go after Naruto, yes, we all know that." Inuzuka Tsume quickly elaborated, and Jiraiya glanced at her before nodding.

"Yes, but you all must understand that the three teams will most likely stay away from the village for one month." the Sannin pointed out, "Which means that we must triple our vigilance."

"Who's going to attack us?" Hyuuga Hiashi inquired suddenly, and everyone looked at the furthest side of the room, where the man was, sitting on a chair, his arms pressed against his chest.

Slowly, Jiraiya narrowed his eyes; Hiashi was there against his will, most likely for believing that his clan did not need protection. But then again, Jiraiya knew that Hiashi would refuse help even if that meant dying because of his foolishness.

Go figure, how Hinata could be his daughter.

"That information is classified for the moment, and the reason has to do with the belief that another village is going to be attacked first." Jiraiya started, his eyes locked with Hiashi's, "That village has been informed, but we have to keep a sharp eye regardless of the circumstances."

"So, you called us here to tell us that we need to keep constant vigilance?" Akimichi Choza inquired, and Jiraiya nodded. "Hum, does this have to do with the fact Uchiha Sasuke is locked up in a cell and that Orochimaru may come here to save him?"

That was a question Jiraiya did not want for someone to ask. Sure he had expected for them to think about it, but never to voice it. Tsunade had inclusively informed him not to say anything unless it was extremely necessary.

"Like I said, Choza-san, that information is classified." Jiraiya answered, and he saw the group exchanging glances that made him sigh.

For some reason he felt as if his answer was going to attract bad luck.

_A lot_ of bad luck.

**To Be Continued…**


	11. Footsteps in the Sand

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I want to thank **Shadw**, **DaiCrazy**, **Terenin**, **uchiha-itachi-3434**, **ElementalDarkness**, **SGCred**, **Silvan Arrow**, **AlexiaWinters**, **Tainted wings black and white **_and_ **Epicweaver** for everything. You guys rock!

* * *

I decided to post this now, although I have no idea when I'll be able to post the next chapter. Most likely in two weeks, but who knows? I hope you guys enjoy this though. However, I just wanted to say that (this is kind of a _spoiler_, I guess) recently discovered that Sasuke has now a team of his own. Unfortunately, due to lack of knowledge about those, I hope you don't mind me changing some things. Thanks for the attention!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_Footsteps in the Sand_

_"In life, nothing good comes out of hurrying."_

With a deep breath, the young woman allowed her eyelids to flutter open, and she silently stared at the dark heavens above. Her team had finally decided to stop for the night, allowing her tired muscles to have the chance to relax.

The only problem was that her mind was not allowing her to rest. Her thoughts were troubling her, plaguing her with unwanted hopes and horrifying fears.

As quietly as she could, the girl got up from the ground after pushing the blanket off her. After glancing at her team mates, and notice that both Neji and Tenten were asleep, Hana decided to go look for Lee. Since she was awake, she could at least try to help him with his watch.

It did not take long for Hana to find Lee, doing some push-ups, close to a large and tall tree. For a moment, Hana just stood on the same spot, watching the ninja training his body although it was obvious that he was aware of his surroundings.

Sometimes Fuzen Hana wished she could be just like Lee; strong, determined, capable of protecting her loved ones… Hana guessed that that was one reason why the two of them got along; both tried their best, though through different ways, and both tried to be always there for their friends.

"You know, Hana-san, you can come closer if you want." Lee's voice echoed through the forest, and Hana could not help but blush faintly for being caught. "What are you doing up, anyway?"

"I couldn't sleep." Hana answered before making her way towards the boy, and see that Lee was now standing, and turned to her. "I just didn't want to interrupt your training."

"Nonsense, company is always welcomed." Lee spoke when the girl trailed off, his characteristic smile on his face. Then, he sat down on the ground, in Indian-style, and tapped the space beside him.

With a smile, Hana sat down, and pulled her knees up before wrapping her arms around her legs. For a short period of time, the two friends were silent, staring at the dark sky, until Lee decided to break the silence.

"I wonder if everyone is alright."

After spending three years in Konoha, Hana understood that in spite of using the plural, Lee was far more interested in one person. In a girl, to be more precise.

"I'm sure everyone's alright." Hana replied before allowing the corner of her lips to curl up into a smile. "And I'm sure Sakura is fine too."

"I-I wasn't referring only to Sakura-san…" Lee started embarrassedly, and Hana could not help but laugh at his discomfiture. "I was talking about everyone…in general."

"Yes, I know, I just couldn't help it, sorry." Hana apologized, but the smile on her face indicated that she was not regretful at all. "I just understand if you're worried about her, that's all."

"Well, I'm sure we're all worried about someone in special." Lee commented, and Hana looked away when she noticed the sly grin he had on his face, his black eyes holding a playful sparkle. "I wonder how team 9 is going…"

"Like I said, I'm sure they're all right." Hana replied still without looking at Lee, but she could feel her heartbeat speeding by the minute. "Do you know if we're going to meet them before we go back to Konoha?"

"Already missing someone?" Lee questioned in a teasing tone, and Hana found herself blushing slightly at his words despite her attempts not to.

"Of course, I'm worried about Chouji." Hana answered with a very short nod, and Lee smirked.

"Who's conveniently on team 9 too." Lee pointed out, and this time, Hana smacked him on the arm. "Ow! Why did you hit me?"

"Until this morning you were all worried about this mission, and now you're teasing me?" the girl asked, doing her best to sound exasperated, and she rested her arm around her knees again. "Does the moon have a weird affect on you or something?"

"No, I just like to tease you the same way you taunt me." Lee retorted still with the mischievous smile on his face, and Hana rolled her eyes. "But like you said, it's normal for us to be worried about the ones we care for."

"Indeed, but we're not supposed to be _this_ obvious." Hana muttered before looking away from Lee to gaze at the sky. "We're supposed to know the differences, and not to mix emotions with our missions."

"I'm sure I know a couple of people who would disagree with you." Lee started, but Hana simply glanced at him by the corner of her eyes before focusing her attention on the sky again. Then, Lee smiled. "I mean, sure we have all those clauses from ninja know-how, but hey, we're all human for some reason. I'm sure whoever came up with all those clauses was aware of our limitations."

"Is that…what you tell yourself when you see Sakura?" Hana asked in a low tone as she lowered her head, but she refused to meet Lee's eyes. After so many months, the two of them had managed to create a solid relationship that allowed the two of them to speak about things that they would not dream about telling to someone else.

And curiously enough, their feelings was one of the topics they felt more at easy speaking about with each other.

"Sakura-san is different." Lee spoke suddenly, and Hana looked up at him, a confused expression on her face that quickly faded away as she looked at her knees. "I'm completely aware of her feelings, and I understand her perfectly. She knows she can count on me, and that I won't take her actions wrongly."

"How do you manage to do that?" Hana inquired, and Lee sighed before looking at the sky, his hands now resting on his sides in order to keep his balance. "How…you try so hard to behave as if you're alright with everything, and yet…"

"Well, it's not as if I can blame her, is it?" Lee asked, and Hana looked at him once more. "I mean, I never dreamt about beating Uchiha, after all, he is good looking, and despite of all his decisions, I know Sakura-san loves him. I never did, nor will I ever, expect to beat him in that department."

"You're a beautiful person, Lee." Hana spoke before she could stop herself, and the ninja blinked at her words. "I barely know Sasuke, but I think you're an awesome person, and I'm sure that one day you're going to meet someone who's going to make you happy."

"Well, don't forget to point the direction when that person shows up." Lee said with a smile, a cheerful hint on his words, and Hana smiled faintly at his behaviour.

She guessed that that was something else they also had in common.

They always tried to hide behind smiles.

But then again, it was through those smiles that the two of them tried so desperately to find the one that would enter in their hearts, and never leave.

* * *

"Well, _excuse me_ for stopping them from going the wrong way!"

"That's not the point. There was no need to be a show-off. What if they had attacked you?"

"Four kids and a dog! That's hardly a challenge for me!"

"One Jounin and three Chuunin, along with a dog that can bite your head off!"

"They are still kids. Damn it, Hatake, I'm not one of your students, and I definitely don't need a knight in shinning armour!"

"You're still too stubborn for your own safety."

"And you're still an obnoxious idiot, who thinks women can't kick people's asses, when I remember kicking yours when I was thirteen!"

"Uh, I would say that one was below the belt." Kiba spoke suddenly after a wince, and Sakura promptly smacked him on the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Because you're an idiot." the girl hissed, an annoyed look on her face. "We really should stop their fight before they start getting physical."

"Are you aware of how that sounded?" Kiba asked as he rubbed the top of his head, but he sighed when Sakura glared at him.

"It's not our job to interrupt them." Shino replied suddenly, his eyes hidden by his sunglasses although it was obvious he was watching Kakashi talking with the woman that had interrupted their journey. "Let them talk."

"If you call that talking, I don't want to know what's fighting to you." Sakura muttered under her breath before looking to her side, and see Hinata there, watching the two adults fighting. "Hey, what's up?"

"Eh?" Hinata asked, looking at Sakura with her eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Hum, no, I was just….just waiting for something to happen."

"Waiting for them to say something that may be connected to Naruto?" Sakura asked, and when she saw the faint blush on Hinata's cheeks, she rested a hand on her hip. "There's no need for you to blush."

"N-No, I was just…"

"So what on earth are you doing here, so close to Kirigakure? The Hokage said you were last spotted in Takigakure, which is on the exact opposite direction from where we're heading."

"Why are you questioning me like that when the last time you saw me was ten years ago? You have no right to do that!"

"Fine, then just answer the question, and I'll stop."

"Does anyone know who the hot girl is?" Kiba asked suddenly, and Sakura rolled her eyes at his words, but she still glanced at the woman that was…talking with Kakashi. She was wearing a black sleeveless tank top, zipped up to her neck, but it was kind of easy to spot the dark green tank top she was wearing underneath. The woman was also wearing tight fitting black biker type shorts, and just like all ninja she was wearing the common black ninja-shoes. (1)

Both her hands were protected by leather gloves while her long teal coloured hair fell down to her waist. However, Sakura had to admit that the most impressive on the woman were her mismatched eyes since her right eye was cerulean coloured while her left one was of a deep jade colour.

"Men…" Sakura growled under her breath, and when she gazed at Shino, she sweatdropped when she saw that the boy was watching the…conversation in silence, and in his usual posture.

"Fine, you idiotic pervert, I came here to tell them not to go to Kirigakure!" the woman exclaimed, as she threw her arms in the air. "I came to warn them that they have to go to Sunagakure."

"Sunagakure?" Kiba hissed, and this time Sakura shrugged in reply.

"Why on earth do they have to go to Sunagakure?" Kakashi asked, as he raised an eyebrow, and the woman sighed, "Mesi, what do you know, and that you're deliberately not telling me?"

"Kids, go take a walk or something." Mesi spoke as she turned to the rest of the team, and everyone stared at her as if she was crazy. "Go now, before I make you."

"We're not kids!" Kiba exclaimed, "And how come he can know whatever you want to tell him, and we can't? We're a team."

As soon as Mesi glared at him, Kiba winced, and everyone else sighed before turning around, and walk away.

"And don't you dare to try to eavesdrop the conversation!" Mesi shouted, and Kakashi chuckled when he saw the four students freeze for a moment before leaping towards a branch. When they were finally alone, Mesi crossed her arms against her chest, and turned to Kakashi. "You know why they have to go to Suna."

"Does this have to do with you trying to find a way of becoming a member of the Niju Shotai?" Kakashi questioned, his hands stuffed inside his pockets, and Mesi narrowed her eyes slightly.

"This has to do with your village trying to catch members from Akatsuki." Mesi retorted, and Kakashi narrowed his eye slightly. "So, unless you want to leave that village in the hands of those bastards, you better convince your team to come with me."

"Is that what you have been doing during the past decade?" Kakashi questioned, and Mesi rolled her eyes. "Following Akatsuki around, and hope not to be killed?"

"I didn't come here to explain you what I may have been doing or not during these past years, and it certainly isn't your business." Mesi started, looking slightly annoyed, "So, your team either comes with me, or you can just go to Kirigakure, waste your time, and go back to Konoha with empty hands."

"What exactly are we going to find in Sunagakure?" Kakashi questioned, and Mesi stared at him before smirking, a strange glint in the depths of her eyes.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

* * *

That was the first time in a whole year that he was laughing that hard. And he had to admit he had missed the freedom to laugh his heart out, and not feel ashamed of doing so. But truth was that the scene in front of him could only end up in healthy laughter and in a joyful atmosphere.

But then again, with a ten year-old running around, with an everlasting energy, it was almost impossible not to fall victim of her cheerfulness.

With a wide smile on his face, Naruto continued to watch Maiko jumping as she walked, her hand holding Gaara's. Her smile was huge as she continued to ramble about things to a stoic looking Gaara, who thankfully seemed to be dealing with her enthusiasm quite well. Mairi, on the contrary, appeared to be rather worried about her sister's behaviour even though she still needed to recover completely from her injuries.

"You know, you really should let her be." Naruto pointed out as he continued to watch Maiko, "I used to be like her, you know? So full of energy that I annoyed people to no end, but in this case, Maiko is a welcomed liveliness. At least she managed to be around Gaara, and not fear him."

"Maiko doesn't know anything about Gaara-san." Mairi started as she glanced at Naruto before focusing her attention back to Maiko. "She just sees a young man, who needs to learn how to smile."

"How to smile?" Naruto repeated, an eyebrow raised slightly in confusion, and Mairi smiled slightly as she focused her attention on him again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ever since she learnt how to talk and walk that Maiko loves to make people smile." the young woman explained, gesturing a little in order to prove her point. "I guess she thinks that Gaara-san has a sad expression, so she's trying to make him smile."

"Good luck to her then, because I think that's pretty much impossible." Naruto said with a small shrug, and Mairi's smile widened just a little bit more.

"Well, I guess she won't lose anything by trying." she answered, and Naruto laughed faintly at her words before chuckling.

"I guess not, and we still have a day ahead so why stop her?" he asked, "Besides, like I said, her energy is pretty much welcomed. It was getting tiring to deal with Gaara's lack of humour lately. The guy always takes things way too seriously."

"Are you going to stay in Sunagakure too?" Mairi questioned after a few seconds in silence, and Naruto clasped his hands behind the back of his head, his eyes locked with the clear sky.

"Well, I seriously have no idea. I don't know if Gaara is going to feel comfortable about being there or not." Naruto answered, and Mairi entitled her head slightly in confusion at his words. "I mean, sure he's from Sunagakure, but…well, we all have our problems."

"Did…I don't know, did something happen to him?" Mairi asked, and Naruto looked at her by the corner of his eyes before focusing his attention on the sky again. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Nah, it's alright." Naruto muttered before sighing, "It's just that we all have our problems, but then again, since you're travelling with us, you deserve to know that the two of us have the tendency to….well, to run into deep troubles."

"Well, I can always try to heal you after those troubles." Mairi retorted, and Naruto laughed lightly before nodding.

"You sure showed up on the right time, I can tell you that." Naruto replied with his foxy grin, and Mairi smiled at him, a warm breeze kissing their features. "But anyway, I think that I have to talk to Gaara first, and see if he agrees about me telling you what has been going on."

"I understand." Mairi said, "And I thank you for trusting me this much, even though we're practically strangers."

"Well, your sister sure doesn't seem to care about that." Naruto pointed it out before glancing at Maiko, and smirk when he saw that the girl was rambling about something, her eyes locked with Gaara's face. "She's a sweet kid."

"Thank you." Mairi whispered, and Naruto winked at her before focusing his attention on Gaara again. He knew that the ninja from Suna was right; to be wandering around with Mairi and Maiko could become dangerous, but Naruto knew that at least with them around, he could try to protect the two girls.

Protect them until he was positive they were safe.

Slowly, Naruto adverted his attention to the clear sky, and rested his hands on the back of his neck. Maybe he had decided to watch over them because he knew he had failed to watch over his friends…he had failed to protect those that were truly dear to him….

He had failed to protect his loved ones on the day he was forced to abandon his village and home…

Due to his internal struggle, Naruto had failed to sense the feeling of someone watching him from afar. He had failed to feel the sharp gaze that had fallen on him and on his group.

The warm wind of the desert was caressing long blond streaks while one attentive eye kept watching the small group leaving footsteps on the sand. A pair of lips immediately curled up into an impious smirk, and two words were whispered to the sun.

"Found you."

**To Be Continued…**

(1) – Just in case you're interested in having a better visual of that outfit (which I _don't_ own), I inform you that it's pretty much the same outfit Tifa Lockheart wears in _Final Fantasy: Advent Children_. If you want a picture, feel free to drop the request in your review, and I'll send it to your email, if possible.


	12. Arrival of Doubt

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I know some people are getting annoyed for the lack of action and fights in this fic, but I beg you to be patient. Action is around the corner, just please, give me a little bit more time! I just need to develop this a little bit more, and in…I don't know, a couple of chapters things _are_ going to get started! Promise!

On the meantime, I want to thank everyone for you guys words, and endless support. I would be way lost without you.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_Arrival of Doubt_

She knew that she was not supposed to be that worried. Her anxiety could be seen as a proof that she was still unsure about her team, when in fact she believed in them without any doubt. But despite her feelings, despite her knowledge about how well her team had developed, she was still apprehensive.

Quietly, she made her way towards the fence of the balcony, on top of the building, and watched a flock of birds crossing the blue sky. Everyone else was worried too, but for different reasons. All of them had been informed that Tsunade had called Ibiki, and reports about Akatsuki moving around without being stopped were starting to arrive from everywhere.

And yet there she was, fearing about the possible dangers that her students could face when in fact they were no longer her students. Well, at least not officially, but she guessed that spending years watching over them made her feel like an older sister.

As she rested her elbows on the fence, Yuuhi Kurenai allowed the breeze to kiss her features as it pushed her hair away from her garnet eyes. Some of her colleagues were currently with Tsunade, developing emergency plans just in case something bad happened, while others were making sure that nothing would lack if a battle was to take place in a close future.

However, since she was conscious of her mental condition, Kurenai had decided to step away for a moment. And she knew she would have taken profit of that peace, if a familiar scent had not started to hover around her.

"You know I have nothing against smoking, but beware of the wind." Kurenai spoke as she continued to stare at the sky, and a tall man leaned his back against the fence. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just wandering around, when I saw you were here." Asuma explained, and Kurenai mentally smiled. He could scare people away with one single glare, but he sure knew when to be sweet. "I thought Tsunade-sama wanted us to group at her office."

"Yes, she does, but I decided it was better to clear my head first." Kurenai answered, her eyes never leaving the pale blue shade of the sky. "What is your excuse to be here?"

"Tsunade-sama can blow my head to pieces if I dare to step inside her office while smoking?" Asuma asked cautiously, and Kurenai finally glanced at him through the corner of her eyes as a smile graced her features.

"Your sense of humour is really scary." she stated, and Asuma shrugged at her words before focusing his attention on her as well. "Do you think they'll manage to do what they were asked to?"

"You still worry too much about them; they're no longer your students." Asuma started, still with his elbows resting on the fence, the cigarette on his lips. "But the worse is that you still think that they need your protection."

"I know they're capable of protecting themselves." Kurenai retorted before gazing at the sky again, "The problem is the rest. I mean, all of them have been waiting for the opportune moment to go search for Naruto, and now that they are out there, looking for their friend…"

"Hinata is a big girl, Kurenai." Asuma spoke up when the woman trailed off, and Kurenai looked at him with a slightly surprised expression on her face. "I know that you care deeply for Kiba and Shino, but I also know that you look at Hinata, and see a little sister who needs your constant protection."

"Never thought I was that easy to read." Kurenai pointed out, and Asuma chuckled. "But then again, perhaps you understand my actions because you do the same with Shikamaru. I know you love your students, but I know that Shikamaru is like your own younger brother."

"Yeah, we do have things in common when we want to." Asuma commented, and Kurenai glanced at him before shaking her head, and slowly she turned to the man, her right hand resting on the fence. "Just don't worry that much about them, I'm sure they're fine."

"I certainly cannot make any promises." Kurenai stated, and slowly Asuma straightened up so that the female Jounin had to raise her head up in order to look at him in the eye. "We should go before Tsunade-sama decides to send Shizune."

"She could send the whole army if she wanted that I would still care less." Asuma said, and Kurenai laughed lightly at his words. "Now, that wasn't that hard was it?"

"You're unbelievable." Kurenai started, the corner of her lips now curled up into a smile. "Here we are, trying to figure out what to do to end with this feeling of emptiness that has been surrounding the village for almost a year, and you still try to make me laugh."

"Well, I managed to do it, so better get used to it." Asuma replied, and Kurenai shook her head before touching the man on his left arm.

"C'mon, we better go." Kurenai said, but when she was walking past Asuma, she felt an arm wrapping around her waist, and before she knew it, her chest was leaning against a strong one. "Asuma…"

"Women are indeed very troublesome." Asuma muttered, and Kurenai blinked at his words before closing her eyes when he took the cigarette from his lips, and bent down to kiss her.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama." Shizune called in a soft voice, and the Hokage looked up from the document she was analyzing. In nervousness, Shizune pulled the books she was holding even harder against her chest, before taking a deep breathe. "I was just informed that Morino Ibiki plans to interrogate Uchiha Sasuke for twenty-four hours. If he fails to get the information he needs, then he'll start the torture."

"You sound unsure." Tsunade commented suddenly, and Shizune looked down for a moment, only to notice a pink pig standing next to the desk, on the floor, that looked back at her. "You have always been aware of Ibiki's specialization, and up until now you never showed any displeasure towards it."

"I don't have anything against Ibiki-san, Tsunade-sama, it's just…" Shizune gazed at the Godaime again, and took a deep breath. "I just think that regardless of the fact Sasuke is a prisoner and our enemy, I cannot help but remember ho-"

"Stop it." Tsunade interrupted, rather brusquely, and Shizune blinked. Slowly, the Hokage stood up from her chair, and walked towards the windows behind her before crossing her arms against her chest. "You cannot think of Sasuke as the boy he used to be. He's no longer the boy you remember."

"But still he's…" Shizune glanced around in nervousness before completing her thought. "He's sixteen, and he's such an easy person to manipulate. Sure he was a genius while he was at the Academy, but he's still just a kid, an-"

"A kid who will not think twice when he faces you, and decides it's better to kill you." Tsunade interrupted as she looked at Shizune with narrowed eyes. "I understand you perfectly, Shizune, but in order to survive you have to stop living in the past."

"I comprehend that, but…"

"It was that same thought that killed the Third Hokage, so I refuse to allow anybody else to think of Sasuke as the person he once was." Tsunade hissed, and Shizune blinked in shock and surprise. "If the Third had decided to see Orochimaru by who he really was, he would have not been forced to correct his mistake, and die doing so. Sasuke doesn't care about anyone, except himself."

"Do you think Naruto and Sakura are going to remember that?" Shizune asked after a short period of silence, and Tsunade looked down before gazing through the window. "Do you really believe they're going to think that way when they come back, and find out what was done?"

"Unfortunately, I think both of us know the answer to that question." Tsunade whispered as she continued to look through the window, "But tell me, have you heard from Anko? Did Kakashi send a message…?"

"Oh yes, Anko-san did." Shizune started before looking down at the books she was holding, and start looking for a page in particular. "Ah, we just received a message from Anko-san, and she says she has just captured a group of criminals. She'll return as soon as she finishes something she has to do."

"Sometimes I wonder why I keep her around." Tsunade muttered to herself, and Shizune shrugged as she pictured the hyperactive examiner in her mind. "What about Kakashi? He was supposed to report back days ago."

"Sorry, Tsunade-sama, but we haven't received anything from him." Shizune spoke as she dropped the paper she had been holding, "The teams from Niju Shotai haven't reported either."

"Not surprising, but I want them to keep searching." Tsunade answered, and her assistant nodded. "And Shizune, I'm aware that we're now doing things we had never done before, but you must understand that times are different now."

Very different, and she was oh so aware of that…

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Shizune spoke as she saluted, but before she could turn around, Tsunade called her name, and the woman stared at the Hokage in confusion. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"I just want to thank you for believing in me, Shizune." Tsunade commented before turning around so that she was facing her assistant. "For not judging my decisions."

"Well, I must admit there were moments when I thought you were insane." Shizune confessed before laughing nervously when she saw Tsunade twitching. "_But_ you always managed to save us all, so I don't see any reason to why I shouldn't believe in you."

"Well, thank you, and next time remind me of not thanking you at all." Tsunade replied, and Shizune chuckled before nodding at same time she shouted an 'hai!'. Then, without any further delay, Shizune turned on her heels, and left the office.

Perhaps, just perhaps, in the middle of all that darkness, they were going to find a light.

* * *

"So, you just _happened_ to stumble on us?" Ino asked as she raised an eyebrow in suspicion, and Anko smirked at her before crossing her arms against her chest.

"Yep, I didn't even know you guys were here." the woman started in her usual posture, and Ino rolled her eyes. "Ya know, if you're going to Iwagakure, then I think you really should drop the idea, and chose other village."

"We can't do that; Tsunade-sama told us to go to the Land of Earth" Chouji spoke up as he reached inside his bag, and took a chocolate bar from inside. "Besides, we really don't have a reason to change course."

"You kidding me?" Anko questioned before laughing, which made Ino start twitching while Chouji just started eating his snack, and Shikamaru sighed tiredly. "C'mon people, everybody knows about the reports the Godaime has been receiving, warning about a possible attack."

"Attack?" Ino repeated, looking unconvinced. "What attack? We haven't heard about anything ever since we left from Konoha, and that was four days ago. I doubt many things happened in such short period of time."

"Honey, please, this is Konoha we're talking about, no time is too short when we're talking about action." Anko pointed out before resting her arms behind her neck, a smirk back to her face. "Seriously, you need to ask someone there to keep you better informed, or else there's no point in leaving Konoha."

"Man, stop being so troublesome, and tell us what's going on." Shikamaru interrupted as he continued lying on the ground, in-between his team mates, his eyes locked with Anko's. "Just cut the crap, and tell us where we have to go."

"Well, Sunagakure is one heck of a choice if you ask me." Anko replied with a small shrug, and Ino stared at her as if the woman suddenly had two heads instead of one. "What? You asked, I answered. No one said you were going to like my opinion."

"Why Suna of all places?" Ino questioned, deciding that it was better to ignore Anko's retort, "And if it's so important to go to the Hidden Village of Sand have the other teams been informed too?"

"How the heck am I supposed to know?" Anko asked, "I have a job to do, and it certainly ain't watching over you kids, or making sure you know where to go. I've said more than enough, now it's your turn."

"So, you're just going to leave like that?" Ino asked as she watched Anko walking towards the gang they had captured, and that were now tied up by a strong rope, and surrounded by Anko's team. "Without telling us what to do?"

"Girl, you're old enough to watch over your own back." Anko replied after instructing her team to get ready for the trip. "For a Chuunin, you really shouldn't ask that."

"Women are so troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered under his breath before sitting down on the ground, his right arm resting on his raised knee. "Inform Tsunade-sama about our change of plans."

"Sure thing, kid, just be careful." Anko replied, and suddenly her team scattered while taking the criminals with them, and the tomboyish woman smirked. "See you around, kids."

"Heavens, what the hell is wrong with that woman?" Ino asked when Anko jumped to a branch, and quickly disappeared. "Seriously, she knows how to look cool, but I'm starting to think she's nuts."

"I guess we're all nuts." Chouji replied as he finished eating his chocolate, and smile sheepishly when Ino glared at him.

"C'mon guys, lets start moving." Shikamaru muttered as he stood up, and immediately stuffed his hands inside his pockets. "We have to rush if we want to arrive to Suna soon."

"Why would we want to arrive soon when we didn't know we were supposed to go there on the first place?" Ino asked, but she started twitching when Shikamaru sighed, and motioned for his team to follow him with a wave of his hand.

She was doomed, with a lazy ass and a constantly-hungry boy as team mates. In fact, Ino did not even know how she had managed to survive all those years with such guys as her colleagues.

But the again, Ino was almost positive that the reason why she had managed to survive all that time had to do with the fact she had never found the answer to such mystery.

* * *

He could hear Maiko laugh, but he could not help but ignore her.

He could feel the little girl holding his hand, and squeezing it once in a while, but he did not look at her. In fact, he was not looking at anyone around him, his cyan coloured orbs locked with the tall walls that had already emerged at the horizon.

They were so close.

So riskily close…

And he did not know what to do. One side of him was rather anxious to go there, but the other half refused to continue that journey. Not when he knew exactly what was standing in the centre of those thick walls.

If he stepped forward now, there would be no turning back.

"Gaara-san?" Maiko called-out suddenly, and the male ninja looked down at the girl only to meet a questioning look.

"Oi, Gaara, what's wrong?" Naruto asked suddenly, and the sand shinobi looked over his shoulder only see that both Naruto and Mairi were also looking confusedly at him. "Don't you want to go?"

"…Yes." Gaara answered after a short silence, his eyes turning to the walls at the horizon once more, and he did not even flinch when Naruto rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Then, let's go! I mean, I really want to know what's going on." Naruto spoke, "And while we're at it, we can always try to fill Mairi in. What do you think?"

"…You want to tell her?" Gaara asked as he stared at Naruto through the corner of his eyes, and he felt Maiko drop his hand before running to Mairi, who was standing behind them. "…Do you think it's wise?"

"Well, we don't need to tell her everything." Naruto commented before adding with sarcasm. "We certainly don't need any more people running away from us, calling us monsters."

"…Whatever." Gaara replied, his face too emotionless to reveal that he did not feel too comfortable with the idea of telling a stranger about the fact the two of them were the containers of the One Tail and Seven Tails. People from Sunagakure knew, and lived afraid of him, like people from Konohagakure despised Naruto.

"C'mon Gaara, I mean, she probably heard about us, she just doesn't know that…well, it's us." Naruto tried to explain, but Gaara simply continued staring at the walls that protected Sunagakure. "Besides, it seems that Maiko likes you, so?"

"…If you think we can trust them…" Gaara trailed off when he felt someone step on his other side, and he glanced at Mairi for a second before focusing his attention on the horizon again. "Let's go."

"Is that your village, Gaara-san?" Maiko asked suddenly as she appeared in front of Gaara, but the sand shinobi simply looked down at her before continuing with his walk. However, as expected, Maiko immediately grabbed his hand, and smiled at Gaara.

"Maiko, let Gaara-san go." Mairi spoke as she emerged beside her sister, and motioned for her to let go off Gaara's hand. "This is a very important moment for him."

"Oh, okay…" Maiko whispered, and she slowly let go off Gaara's hand before going to her sister's side.

"Wait, before we go, we have to put these on." Naruto interrupted when his group started walking, and with a quickly movement of his wrist, he opened the zipper of his back bag. Then, he took a dark brown coat from inside, and threw it at Gaara before taking another one for himself.

"Why are you wearing that?" Maiko asked as Gaara put the coat around his shoulders, and covered his head with the hood. Moments later, Naruto mimicked him before raising his thumb after making sure he was well hidden.

"Well, we think the coats makes us look cool." Naruto replied, but Gaara simply decided to ignore them, and started walking towards the South entrance of his village. If everything went as expected, the guards would allow them to walk inside the village without asking them to reveal their identity.

At least so he hoped, because Gaara definitely did not want to reveal his identity until it was extremely necessary.

It did not take long for the group to reach the entrance, and as expected, all the shinobi guards immediately turned to look at them. Gaara knew they were going to make them stop…

"Good afternoon, kids."

He knew they were going to ask who they were and why they were there…

"Do you want to tell me who you are and what you're doing here?"

And this was the moment Gaara hoped Naruto did not open his mouth, at same time he tried to think of something to say.

"Hum…hello." Mairi spoke suddenly, and Gaara glanced at her from under his hood as the young medical-nin walked past him. "My name is Karim Mairi, and I'm from Kirigakure. I was supposed to come arrive some days ago for a conference, but I hum…I run into some troubles, and I didn't manage to arrive on time."

"And who are those?"

Gaara kept staring at Mairi's back, as she quickly explained the reason why she was delayed. He knew that the ninja would most likely believe in it, and let her in, but the problem was how he and Naruto were going to get inside.

"They are my rescuers." Mairi quickly added as she motioned to Gaara and Naruto with a hand, her eyes still locked with the guards. "I just…since they risked their lives for me, I thought that…I don't know, perhaps they could come with me."

"All of you are from Kirigakure?"

"Yes." Mairi quickly answered, and Gaara glanced at Naruto only to notice that he was watching everything from under his hood as well. He looked to the opposite side though, when Gaara felt a tiny hand resting over his.

"Very well, go in."

Without wasting any other minute, Gaara grasped Maiko's hand tightly yet carefully enough not to hurt her. Then, he immediately made his way out of the protection of the walls, but stopped his tracks when Sunagakure came into view.

So much time had been lost…

"Hey, Gaara." Naruto called out before appearing next to the sand shinobi, but this time his voice was serious. "Are you ready for this?"

"…There is no point in running now." Gaara answered, his cyan eyes locked with the circular buildings of his village.

"This is your home, Gaara-san?" Maiko asked as she stared at the village in awe as well, Mairi standing next to her.

For a moment, Gaara glanced at Maiko before gazing at Mairi, and then he looked at Sunagakure again. So much time had passed ever since the last time he had looked at his village without being judged.

"…Yes." Gaara finally replied, an emotionless expression on his face as a warm breeze started kissing his pale features. "…This is my home."

**To Be Continued…**


	13. Too Far From The Horizon

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

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I have absolutely no words to utter or to write. I never expected to reach 100th reviews with this fic, and yet you, my dear readers, managed to surprise me. I sincerely have no words within my grasp that I can use in order to thank everything you have done. Your support has been my pillar in this fic, and your constant cheers for me to go on truly have helped me to find more inspiration on the night's shadows. Thank you all, for everything, but above all else, for the dedication you seem to have towards this fic, that even though it's in need of some elements required in one's story, still seems to make you smile.

Thank you everyone, thank you for everything, for I have no other way to thank you besides using those two little words in hope that you see the massive gratitude they carry.

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**Chapter 12**

_Too Far From The Horizon_

He seriously did not know what was going on. It looked as if the whole team had suddenly been hit by a tornado, regardless of how strong they were. Kiba had once tried to be funny, and had ended up with a bump with the seize of a small rock on top of his head. Akamaru had tried to protect his owner, and had ended up floating through the air, immobile for half an hour.

At least Shino was too collected to dare to do something, while Hinata was feeling too uncomfortable with the new presence. As for Sakura…for some reason he could swear she was annoyed by what was going on.

With a tired sigh, Kakashi looked up from his book, his left hand resting behind his neck. Apparently Mesi was trying to bond with Hinata as she talked quietly with the girl, Sakura sitting next to Shino, staring at the sky while Kiba was sitting on a branch, with Akamaru sitting next to him.

He seriously did not know how Mesi had managed to escape from Hinata's Byakugan, Akamaru's senses, and Shino's bugs, but then again, she was not Kourui Mesi for nothing. With a small chuckle, Kakashi looked down at his book again, but before he could turn the page, he felt someone standing next to him.

"Kakashi-sensei."

In silence, the Jounin looked up right into Sakura's pale-green eyes. For a moment they just stood staring at each other, until Sakura decided to sit down next to him, and rest a hand on her raised right knee.

"Who is she?"

"Someone you definitely don't want to irritate." Kakashi answered as he focused his attention in his book again, and Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Stay on her good side, and everything will be fine."

"You're asking me to trust in someone I don't know, and who unexplainably managed to pass through Hinata's Byakugan." Sakura started, sounding as suspicious as she looked. "Do you really believe I'm going to do that?"

"Listen Sakura, she's an old friend, and I know we can trust her." Kakashi answered, and Sakura looked apprehensively at him before glancing at Mesi, who was still talking to Hinata close to the fire.

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"You're becoming too suspicious, Sakura." Kakashi replied before glancing at Mesi. "Last time I saw her was a decade ago. She didn't manage to handle the problems that were surrounding her at the time, so she left."

"So, you're asking us to trust a person you haven't seen for ten years?" Sakura asked, "Well, excuse me then for not feeling too comfortable with the idea."

"I'm not going to crucify you, Sakura, we're all free to do what we think it's best." Kakashi started as he turned the page. "And you definitely have common sense, so there's no point in trying to convince you. Besides," Kakashi glanced at Mesi again, "all precautions are welcomed."

"And did she explain to you why we have to go to Sunagakure?" Sakura questioned, "I mean, one thing is to arrive and just tell us to go, and the other, is to arrive, _explain_, and then take us to Suna."

"I'm waiting to ask her." Kakashi said as he continued reading his book, but when he felt Sakura's questioning gaze on him, he continued. "She's obviously having fun talking to Hinata, there's no point in being rude, and go interrupt their conversation."

"I'm starting to think you're just too lazy to go there, and ask her." Sakura hissed before standing up, and Kakashi looked up in time to see the medical-nin approach the two other women, and interrupt their conversation.

Haruno Sakura sure had bloomed, but she was definitely becoming as scary as her master.

"So, what do you want to talk about?"

With a sigh, Kakashi lowered his book, and waited for Mesi to sit down beside him, on the exact same spot Sakura had once occupied. For a moment they just stood there, staring at the younger ninja who were still scattered around, until Kakashi decided there was no point in keeping the tension hanging in the air.

"How did you know where to find us?" Kakashi finally inquired, and Mesi smirked before focusing her attention on him.

"A little bird told me." she replied, and Kakashi mentally sighed. "You know of my affection with birds, so it's not that hard for me to find one that can offer me some interesting information."

"And does this bird have a name?" Kakashi questioned, also looking at Mesi, and the woman smiled at him before gazing at the sky. A warm breeze quickly started kissing their features, and for a moment Kakashi did wonder about what secrets could have drawn them together again.

"I'm sure you're familiar with this kind of bird." Mesi started as she continued to observe the sky, and Kakashi blinked. "He's name is Tenzo, more commonly known as Yamato."

For a moment, Kakashi was unable to hide his surprise and shock. With an widened eye, he just continued staring at the woman who was sitting next to him, still staring at the sky with a small smile on her face.

"You saw Yamato?" Kakashi finally asked, and Mesi glanced at him before nodding. "When?"

"Before I came after you." Mesi quickly elaborated as she rose her knees, and wrapped her arms around her legs. "He was wandering around with Sai, most likely trying to figure more clues about Akatsuki. He was the one who said that it was very probable for Naruto to be in Sunagakure."

"And why did he say that?"

"Who knows? I found him because he decided to make a house since he felt like camping out." Mesi said with a small shrug, "You know Yamato can be a very weird person when he wants to. I was lucky to hear about Naruto and Suna, so I really didn't feel like asking for more information."

"And how did you know where to find us?" Kakashi asked, and Mesi looked at him before entitling her head to the side.

"Honestly, Hatake, you have dogs, I have birds." she answered. "And what's the beauty of having birds as pets? They have wings, and are awesome scouts. No one stops them, because no one actually gives a damn about gazing at the sky."

"Was that the way you managed to escape Hinata's Byakugan?" Kakashi questioned, and Mesi snorted before shaking her head.

"Hatake, that's a secret you're never going to find out."

* * *

He had to admit he was impressed. He had never seen someone so determined not to fall victim of all his traps, and yet looking so coolly when in fact almost one day and half had passed ever since they had started that interrogation.

Yes, he was very impressed. After so many years working both as a interrogator and torturer, he had to admit he was quite content for finally meeting someone who was worth his time, and who actually forced him to think about all possible ways to confine him to only one possible exit.

The only problem was that his victim was not even off-age.

Every time he tried to receive an answer, he would find himself thinking about other approaches. It was amazing how a sixteen year-old had such a capability to escape from his traps while barely saying a word.

He was indeed forced to admit that Orochimaru prepared his followers extremely well, but this one…it was simply impossible to characterize him. He went above everything he had ever seen, and for Morino Ibiki people deserved to know that.

And in this case, the Hokage deserved to know the specimen she had locked up.

"You're aware there's no possible way for you to escape from here alive, if you don't cooperate." Ibiki continued, his arms pressed against his chest as he stared down at the person strapped to a chair with explosive tags all around him. "One day these walls are going to start shrinking in, they are going to start consuming you, and then you'll know you should have talked to me."

Sasuke just continued to look to the right side, his face blank of any expression.

"And on that day, when insanity starts leaving your lips, you'll understand it's too late to go back, and tell us what we want to know." Ibiki continued, his face also stoic. "Do you really want to reach such insanity to understand that your leader cares for no one?"

"It is through insanity that most times a man becomes sane." (1) Sasuke answered with indifference, but Ibiki noticed the taunting look on his black eyes. "Shall we proceed with the obvious statements, or do you want to continue with your pointless games?"

"Morino-san." a voice spoke suddenly, and the torturer turned to the bars of the cell, his eyes meeting a mask with the form of a tiger almost immediately. "The Godaime wishes to speak to you."

"I'm in the middle of an interrogation. Tsunade-sama is aware of that." Ibiki replied in his authoritarian tone, and the ANBU member nodded.

"She told me so, but she also asked me to tell you that it's urgent." the ANBU explained, and Ibiki narrowed his eyes slightly. "She mentioned that it had to do with an eagle."

"An eagle?" Ibiki repeated, staring at the ANBU with a blank expression on his face. If Tsunade did in fact want to speak about an eagle, than that meant that something new had came up.

"Very well." Ibiki spoke with a short nod, "Make sure no one comes disturb our guest."

"Yes, sir." the ANBU replied with a short bow, and Ibiki glanced one last time at Sasuke before leaving the cell.

He truly hoped that Tsunade had new information, because he could not help but grown suspicious about what was going on. So suspicious that when he walked through the only exit of that place, Ibiki requested for constant vigilance and ordered that no one was to walk through the door unless he allowed it.

On the meantime, on the other side of the door, the ANBU member stood on the same spot, staring at Sasuke, who was looking back. For a moment nothing was said, nothing was done, until a chuckle broke the silence.

"And to think this is the best Leaf elite." the ANBU spoke up before raising her hands.

In what could be considerate to be slow motion, the ANBU took the hair band that was tying her hair, and allowed the black streaks to fall down her back. Then, the mask was taken off, revealing the heart-shaped face of a young woman with deep carmine coloured eyes.

"Quit staring at me like that, I came as fast as I could." the girl spoke before doing some hand seals, and in seconds the door of the cell was opened.

"You're a disgrace." Sasuke hissed as the girl got rid of the explosion tags that were surrounding him. "I should kill you immediately."

"Nuh-uh, remember that if you kill me now, you won't get away from here." the girl said before smirking. "C'mon, we have to go."

Quickly yet as quietly as a cat, Sasuke stood up, and the girl immediately grabbed his hand. Without making any sound against the stoned floor, the girl lead Sasuke out of the cell to the wall across the position where the exit was.

"Now, we wait for the fun to begin." the girl whispered before making some hand seals, and after resting her arms around Sasuke's waist, the two of them faded in the shadows.

* * *

They had finally made it. They had finally arrived to the Land of Lightning, and it was finally time to start the real search. Thank heavens they had not encountered anyone too dangerous on the way; the few ninja they have faced, had been mostly Genin and a couple of Chuunin who believed to be really cool, and capable of facing two Jounin such as Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee.

But of course, none of them had had a chance.

Not against her team.

With a small smirk on her face, Tenten finally jumped to the ground, and stared at the land in front of them. The Land of Lightning seriously had nothing in common with the Land of Fire, but then again, Konohagakure was her hometown so nothing would ever be on its same level.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Tenten asked as she looked at her team mates, that were now on both her sides. "Shall we start searching for some clues that can take us to Naruto, or shall we send a letter to Tsunade-sama first?"

"Let's go to Komugakure first. Once there, two of us will send a message, while the other two will search for clues." Neji answered, his face blank of emotions, and everyone nodded. "We're only a few miles away from the village, so we'll be able to send the message before the sunrise."

"I just hope we won't wake anyone up on the way." Lee answered, and Hana nodded in agreement. Tenten was about to comment something too, until a strange sound made her look up, and blink.

Despite the darkness of the sky, the moonlight allowed her to spot any darker shadow in the stars. And the silhouette of a bird, probably with the same size of a kestrel, caught her attention almost immediately.

"Hey, Neji, what's that?" Tenten asked as she pointed at the bird with a finger, and the rest of her team looked up as well at same time the Hyuuga member muttered 'Byakugan'.

"It's…" Neji trailed off, and Tenten glanced at him in time to see his frown deepen. "A Northern Hobby."

"A falcon?" Tenten repeated as she blinked, and she looked at the sky again. "But that bird isn't even supposed to exist here."

"It has something on its leg..." Neji commented before deactivating his Byakugan, and then he looked at his team mates. "And it's coming towards us."

"Did it have any mark on it?" Tenten asked, and Neji nodded as the whole team watched the bird starting to fly towards them.

"It had a patch on its right eye."

As soon as those words left Neji's lips, Lee raised his arm, and moments later the Hobby landed on it. Black feathers covered most of his body, though some white ones were on its torso. Its black eyes immediately started looking at the whole team, as they started moving closed to Lee, all their attention focused on the falcon.

"It's so…beautiful." Tenten heard Hana whisper, and Lee smiled before caressing the falcon's back. Neji, on the other hand, took the message the falcon had attached to its left leg, and unwrapped it.

"What does it say?" Tenten asked as she watched Neji reading the message even though there was not much light to help him doing so. "Better yet, who sent it?"

"It's from Kakashi-sensei." Neji quickly explained, and everyone blinked at his words. "Apparently this falcon belongs to a friend of his, and this message…" Neji looked up at Tenten before gazing at Lee and Hana. "We have to go back."

"Go back?" Lee asked as he raised an eyebrow in confusion, and Neji nodded.

"Apparently all plans have been changed; we're supposed to go to Sunagakure as soon as we receive this message." the Hyuuga member explained, and Tenten decided that it was time to be honest.

"Neji, c'mon, Sunagakure is exactly on the opposite way." the girl started, "We have to cross the Land of Fire if we want to go there, not to mention some minor Lands. It's going to take almost a week to reach the Land of Wind."

"Then we need to start moving." Neji started, and Lee run his fingers through the falcon's feathers one last time before raising his arm up, motioning for the bird to start flying again. "And we're going to reduce our stops."

"I think we should do that. Let's make a stop in two days; we have soldier pills, which can help us to keep up without any problem." Lee started, "And Hana-san can help us if we get injured for some reason."

"Hai, and I have enough pills for everyone." Hana added. "But I must inform you that we can't depend only on these pills. They may revitalize our energy and strength, but if we use them too much, some may get addicted to them."

"Let's go, then." Neji spoke, and Tenten glanced one last time at the sky while her team jumped to the closest branches. She could only hope that this change of plans did not mean that something bad was to happen.

Then again, they were after Naruto, and if there was something that followed Naruto like a shadow, that would be trouble.

**To Be Continued…**

– I blame _King Lear_ by William Shakespeare for this statement!

P.S – I forgot to say that I finally managed to find a way to read _Naruto_ manga. I'm already getting acquainted with Sasuke's new team, but I must admit I'm sticking with my own team. Hope you guys don't mind!!


	14. Explosive News

**Disclaimer:** Masashi Kishimoto owns everything. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic.

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I just want to thank **SGCred**, **Epicweaver**, **Terenin**, **DaiCrazy**, **Silvan Arrow**, **btrndd** _and_ **AlexiaWinters** for your guys support. I hope you enjoy this.

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**Chapter 13**

_Explosive News_

"Oh my, he's _so _hot!"

"Hot is not enough, I mean, he's almost _surreal!_"

"I wonder how he looks like without the coat."

"Honey, if with the coat he looks _that_ hot, to see him without it will most likely give us a heart attack."

And then they started to giggle.

Before she knew it, Mairi found herself rolling her eyes. Since, for some reason, Gaara did not want to go see the Kazekage immediately, the group had decided to stop by a café so that Maiko could eat and drink. And apparently, the two boys that were with her were attracting a lot of attention…

But it seemed that none of them was actually aware of their effect on women.

"Man, I _so_ want him!"

"No way, I saw him first."

As she shifted on the chair, Mairi forced herself to focus her attention on Maiko, and smile slightly when she saw how her sister had chocolate all over her mouth, cheeks, and even on the tip of her nose. Across the little girl, was Naruto, on his third pie. Gaara, on the contrary, had not requested anything, and was simply staring into space.

As she reached out for a napkin to clean her sister's face, Mairi could not help but remember what Naruto had told her. Apparently, both Naruto and Gaara had been forced to leave their villages because of some secret reasons, and now the two of them were trying to figure when it was the best time to return. However, since she had stumbled on them, Naruto and Gaara had decided to return sooner.

At the beginning, Mairi had felt awful. True, she still did not understand very well what the two of them could have done, but when Naruto had swore that it was nothing bad, she had decided to do her best to help them out. Besides, it was the least she could do.

Not to mention that she did understand at least one reason why Gaara had been forced to leave Sunagakure. Not that she had confessed it to them, after all it was not her place, but Mairi was almost certain that it had to do with a certain beast.

A beast which tale seemed to conquer every country, like a cold silk sheet.

"So, what are we supposed to do now?" Naruto asked suddenly after taking a long sip from his drink, and Mairi gazed up at Gaara as she continued to rub Maiko's cheeks with the napkin. "Are we supposed to stay here or go see Kankurou?"

When Gaara did not answer, Mairi focused her attention on Maiko again. It did not take long for her to clean her sister's face, but when Mairi put the dirty napkin on the table, she focused her attention on the two boys sitting across her again. It seemed that Gaara did not want to go see the Kazekage, and even though Mairi believed that she knew the reason why, she preferred not to say anything, and just follow the guys.

"Oi, Gaara, I asked what we're supposed to do." Naruto pressed as he finished eating, and took one last and long sip. "C'mon, you know we can't stay hidden for long. Kankurou is the Kazekage of this village; do you really believe that those guards we saw at the entrance aren't going to report us?"

"…No." Gaara answered after a short period of silence, and Mairi saw Naruto groan. "…We can go."

"Are we going to meet your family?" Maiko asked as she took one last bite of her chocolate cake, her cheeks getting dirty again. Mairi, almost instantaneously, cleaned her sister's cheeks once more.

Despite everything, Mairi found herself glancing at Gaara, who had been staring through the window next to him the whole time. Naruto was also watching his companion, waiting to hear about what they were going to do, but before Gaara could even look back at them, two girls appeared beside the table.

"Hey cutie."

Now Mairi seriously had to struggle not to laugh. The two girls did not seem to be any older than them, but apparently they believed that their short clothes and long, shiny hair caught everybody's attention. Go figure why people believed that physical beauty was enough to catch someone's interest…

"Do you want to leave this place, and go have some fun?" the other girl asked, before biting her lower lip as she smiled mischievously, her eyes directed at Gaara.

"I…hum…"

If Mairi had not been worried about the possibility of her sister hearing some inappropriate stuff, she sure would have shaken her head at Naruto's behaviour. It seemed that the blond believed that the girls were hitting on him when it was obvious that they only had eyes for Gaara.

"Let's go." Gaara spoke suddenly as he stood up, the hood still hiding his eyes, and Mairi nodded before helping her sister. Naruto, on the meantime, took a while longer to understand that everyone else was already leaving the coffee-shop, since his attention was still focused on the two strange girls.

"Is he always like that?" Mairi asked as she looked over her shoulder, and saw Naruto crying out for them to wait for him. However, since Gaara did not stop walking, Naruto was forced to run after them.

"…Unfortunately." Gaara replied, and Mairi blinked at his words before shrugging.

"Hey guys, you could have waited, you know?" Naruto asked as he finally reached Gaara's side, panting slightly. "You're always in such a hurry, Gaara. Man, I'm sure Kankurou and Temari aren't going anywhere."

As they continued walking, now in silence, Mairi looked up at the clear sky, and moments later she narrowed her eyes. She could swear she had seen a strange white bird soaring just above them…

* * *

There was a dark shadow of bugs flying everywhere as Shino controlled them through his silence, and two identical Kibas could often been spotted running from side to side. Hinata was hitting her opponents with her Gentle Fist technique, with her Byakuganactivated as she continued making sure that no one else showed up.

And watching the whole fight from a branch, concealed by thick leaves, were non other than Hatake Kakashi and Kourui Mesi. Kakashi was busy reading his book while Mesi was staring down at three kunais that she was holding with her right hand. None of them seemed to be aware of the commotion that was occurring underneath them, but that changed when Mesi looked at Kakashi.

"Never thought you would actually agree about not helping them out." the woman said, but Kakashi simply turned the page, and continued reading. Almost instantaneously, Mesi smacked him on top of his head. "Idiot, I'm talking to you."

"If you must know, I decided not to interrupt their fight because I know they're capable of taking care of themselves." on this moment, Sakura punched her opponent, and sent him flying right into a tree. "I apology if that hurts your feelings."

"Gosh, when we were younger I never thought you would manage to become more stupid than you already were." Mesi sighed before putting the kunais back to he pouch, that was on her back, on the right side. "Guess you always know how to surprise people."

"Shall I take that as a compliment?" Kakashi questioned as he continued reading, and Mesi rolled her eyes. "By the way, what are you going to do as soon as we reach Sunagakure? Are you going to leave us, and go in search of Akatsuki?"

"What I do, Hatake, is not of your concern."

Hinata managed to detain her opponent with her Gentle Fist, her Byakuganstill activated…

"No matter what you say, Mesi, you're still a fellow Jounin, and it's my duty to watch over you." Kakashi pointed out, turning the page once more, and Mesi started twitching. "But of course that if you decide to get yourself killed, then there's not much I can do."

"Does that mean that you would let me get killed just because I decided to abandon you in Sunagakure?"

Shino's opponent fell on the ground, unconscious while Shino's bugs continued to hold him down…

"I won't dignify that question with an answer."

Sakura punched the ground, opening a fissure that was wide enough to make her opponent get stuck on it…

"That's only because the answer is way too obvious." Mesi stated with a small shrug, and Kakashi finally looked up at her. "You know that I don't need your protection, Hatake, and you know I'm not stupid enough to repeat the same mistakes _they_ did."

Kiba cheered when Akamaru fell right on top of their enemy, knocking him out immediately.

But the team's victory went unnoticed as both Mesi and Kakashi kept staring at each other, measuring their strengths through their eye-contact, and yet…

They were remembering everything…

Everything they had struggled so much to push to the back of their minds, only to use it when in need of more power and determination…

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called-out as she waved a hand in the air, but the two Jounin just continued staring at each other.

"We both witnessed the power that mistakes have over us," Mesi started in a calm voice, "and I know that you're still haunted by those mistakes. You may behave as if you're alright with everything that happened, but I know that every night is a struggle for you."

"What makes you so sure of what you're saying?" Kakashi questioned, but he widened his eye slightly in surprise and shock when Mesi's lips curled up into a bittersweet smile.

"I remember Obito and Rin perfectly, Hatake, not to mention the Yodaime as well." the woman started, "I remember how you were after Obito's death, and now I can say that I know how I behaved when I lost everything that was dear to me as well. I guess you can say that's how I know."

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called-out again, sounding slightly irritated, but Kakashi simply watched Mesi as the woman jumped off the branch, and landed on the ground on her feet. "Kakashi-sensei, if you don't come down, we'll leave without you!"

"Yeah, these guys already delayed us long enough!" Kiba exclaimed also gazing at the male Jounin while Shino silently waited for new orders, Hinata watching Mesi walking down the path that lead to Sunagakure.

Things could only get interesting from that moment on, with secrets emerging from the shadows constantly while whispering secrecies into people's dreams.

* * *

Rare we the times when Tsunade allowed herself to show surprise, but after hearing Morino Ibiki reporting that Sasuke was definitely quite a challenge, the Godaime was obliged to show her shock. She had never expected for Sasuke to be so well trained…so well prepared to face a ninja such as Ibiki.

"I must admit I was surprised when you called me in, when you were aware that I was in the middle of an interrogation." Ibiki continued, and Tsunade stared at him before raising an eyebrow slightly.

"I'm sorry, Ibiki, but you were the one who requested a meeting." the woman started, her fingers entwined in front of her chin. "A message was just delivered to me, saying that you had news about Sasuke, hence the fact I allowed you to come."

"Hmm, that's not accurate." Ibiki started, as he stood straight in front of the desk of the Hokage, and Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly. "An ANBU just informed me about your request for this meeting. If it had been another person, I would have not bothered to leave the cell."

"Ibiki, I did not request for a meeting." Tsunade repeated in a strong voice, her eyes now narrowed slightly. "In fact, I was waiting for the interrogation to end, and I certainly did not send any ANBU to you. You know very well that Shizune is the only one I allow to enter in that place, aside from my student."

"Then, I believe we have been deceived." Ibiki started, "Though it makes no sense. I'm sure that the person that came to me was an ANBU, and if it was an impostor, she wouldn't know Sasuke's codename. That's classified information, that only you, a couple of the most trustful ninja and myself are aware of."

For a moment, Tsunade did not say a thing. There was absolutely nothing that indicated that that was a trap, but at same time it did not make any sense. Few people knew where Sasuke was located, and even fewer knew about what was being done to him. The only people who were aware of what was going on, had swore secrecy.

"Someone must have gained access to Sasuke, but the success of such mission is practically none." Tsunade started, her fingers entwined in front of her chin. "Sasuke is being guard all the time, and ANBU are always guarding the door. There's no way someone can get in or out without being noticed."

"And I ordered for no one to enter without my permission when I left." Ibiki started, looking stoic as ever, his arms resting on his sides. "But Tsunade-sama, someone must be trying to get to Sasuke, and must have a way of getting information about him to use his codename."

"You think we have a leak?" Tsunade questioned, and Ibiki nodded shortly.

"I believe we must keep an eye on ANBU for now. Something's going on; my team always keeps an eye on stranger behaviours, but up until now nothing abnormal happened." the man explained, and Tsunade was about to speak when there was an urgent knock, and Shizune burst inside the office.

"Tsunade-sama!" the female assistant shouted before stopping just beside Ibiki, hands on her knees as she panted. "Tsunade-sama, we have problems!"

"What's wrong?" Tsunade asked as she stood up from her chair, knowing that Shizune was not the type of person who freak out about every little thing. "What happened?"

"It's Sasuke!" Shizune exclaimed, as she raised her head in order to look at the Godaime in the eye, and both Tsunade and Ibiki tensed up. "He's gone!"

"What?" Tsunade asked, and it did not take long for the three of them to leave the office, and go at full speed to the place where Sasuke had once been.

As soon as she run through the only exit of that place, Tsunade saw a group of ANBU examining the whole cell that Sasuke had once occupied. Some other ANBU members were standing by the door, masks covering their faces, but Tsunade could see that they were puzzled as well.

"What the hell happened here?" Tsunade asked, not bothering to hide her anger. "How on earth did he manage to get away when there were four ANBU protecting the door, and others scattered all over the building?"

"We don't understand it either, Godaime-sama." one of the ANBU, with a mask with the form of a tiger, spoke as he gave one step forward. "We were forced to go against Morino-san's orders when we heard a strange sound coming from inside. When we saw that prisoner number 00 was not in his cell, we informed you immediately."

"I want all available teams to go in search for prisoner 00 immediately, and the team that was already here must search for the prisoner inside this building at once!" Tsunade ordered, and all the ANBU around her nodded before disappearing in clouds of smoke. When they were alone, Tsunade turned to Ibiki. "I want you searching for Sasuke as well, take your team with you."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Ibiki said with a quick nod before turning around, and leave without any other delay.

"Shizune, I want two ninja guarding this door straight away!" Tsunade ordered in a tone that left no space for discussion, and her assistant nodded. "I want reports to be sent to me every hour, whether with new information about Sasuke or not. And I want Yamato to return at once! It's time to find the damn rat that made this possible."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" Shizune saluted before leaving the place, and for a moment, Tsunade gazed at the empty cell where Sasuke had been. She had no idea about what had happened, but she was not going to rest until Sasuke was locked up again, and whoever had helped him to escape was punished.

"Damn all this." Tsunade hissed before leaving that dark and intimidating place, her hands closed into strong fists.

For a long moment there was only silence inside that small room until a small laugh echoed through the walls, and Sasuke emerged from the shadows along with the girl that had helped him to get away from the cell.

"See? I told you that waiting a year was going to be worth it." the girl started, her arms still wrapped around Sasuke's waist, but the boy simply stared at her with an empty expression. "Aw c'mon, you have to admit this was fun."

"You're lucky enough that I still need you, or your head would no longer be attached to your neck." Sasuke replied in a blank tone, almost as if the possibility of killing the girl did not bother him at all.

"That, and because you just love me." the girl added with a small smile, and she laughed quickly again. "C'mon, now it's time for the games to begin, but I have the feeling that the shadows are going to win."

"Whatever, just move." Sasuke growled, and the girl shrugged slightly before raising her hands, and make some quick hand seals. Then, she grasped Sasuke's hand, and both of them faded into the shadows.

* * *

He had been staring at the pale brown building for quite sometime, completely oblivious to his surroundings, and deaf to all questions that Naruto had spent the last five minutes asking him. On his left side was Mairi, silently waiting for him to say what they were supposed to do next, while Maiko seemed too interested in observing the environment to notice that they had been standing on the same spot for the past fifteen minutes.

But then again it was not as if he cared about it. All he could think was about what could happen if he crossed the doors that were just a few steps away from him. To step through those doors meant the same as returning to his old life…to the life he had swore to change…to the life he had swore never to live again…

Sure, he knew his siblings deserved to know that he was there, but it was also true that the two of them had not done anything to stop him from leaving the village. Gaara knew that at the time Kankurou and Temari had little power to convince the Council, but it still bothered him to think that perhaps his siblings were happy without him around.

Yes, there was no point in denying it. Gaara knew he had always been a burden, and even though he felt that he had changed a bit thanks to Naruto, he was not so sure that others would notice that small transformation.

"Gaara-san?" Mairi called out, and Gaara finally forced himself to look away from the building only to notice that his three companions were staring at him, waiting for him to say something. "Is this where the Kazekage is?"

"…Yes." Gaara replied after a short silence, but he looked to his other side when a strong hand found his shoulder.

"C'mon Gaara, this is your bother we're talking about." Naruto started, his hand still resting on Gaara's shoulder. "Do you really think he's going to shut the door on your face?"

"The Kazekage is…your bother?" Mairi asked, obviously caught off-guard, and Gaara decided that it was better to nod to hide the truth. In fact, he was too worried about his siblings possible reaction to try to hide any more facts of his life.

"…Last time I saw him, he was only a ninja." Gaara decided to add, and Mairi blinked at his words.

"C'mon Gaara, I didn't cross half of desert to see you chicken out." Naruto pointed out, "In fact, I never thought you were the kind of person who runs away after going through so much. C'mon, what are you? A man or a mouse?"

"…Very well." Gaara whispered after staring at Naruto with a stoic expression on his face, and Naruto grinned at him. "You two may stay here if you want. There's a park to the right; take the child there."

"Alright." Mairi said, but then she surprised Gaara with a small smile. "Good luck with your brother, Gaara-san. I'm sure he's going to welcome you with open arms."

"I think so too!" Maiko exclaimed happily as she nodded enthusiastically. "I always hug my sister when she returns from a mission. Your brother is going to do the same!"

"And I'm going to witness it!" Naruto added, grinning, and for a moment Gaara stared at the three of them in confusion. How could they be so sure when they hardly knew Kankurou and Temari? How could they be smiling when they knew why he had been banned from the village?

"Good luck!" Mairi said, and Gaara gazed at her in time to see the two girls already walking down the road, directed to the park he had mentioned. Naruto, on the other hand, was still beside him.

"C'mon Gaara, lets scare some people." the blond joked, and Gaara looked at him before nodding silently.

In silence, the two companions made their way towards the front doors of the building in front of them. In slow motion, Gaara rose a hand, the coat revealing his pale skin as it felt down to his elbow, and slowly he closed his fingers around the doorknob. Beside him, Naruto was expecting for the door to be opened, and Gaara mentally took a deep breath.

That was it.

No more running.

Without blinking, Gaara increased his grip around the doorknob, and slowly started pushing the door. However, before he could even step forward, there was a strange laugh, and the two ninja looked up at the sky only to see a strange white bird soaring just above them.

"Oi, containers, get ready to dance!" a voice shouted, and Gaara only had time to acknowledge that a person was standing on the bird's back before noticing the strange white balls that the person had throw at them.

Then, the person shouted _Katsu _(1), and there was a white flash quickly followed by an explosion.

**To Be Continued….**

1 – _Katsu _means _detonate._


	15. So Close Yet So Far

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed and read the last chapter**. I also want to thank your constant support, and the fact you're all allowing me to take my time to develop the action. I also know some of you are expecting some romance hints soon, and I promise you'll see those soon.

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**Important:** This chapter is the biggest I've written so far for this fic, but I must inform you that the action…well, it ain't that good. I know that Akatsuki is finally making an appearance in the anime, and has a very good roll in the manga, but…heck, those guys are _way_ weird. I must inform you all that they are going to be out of character (no matter how much I hate it), but I hope you can forgive me for it. I promise I'll try to improve the action/fighting scenes.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_So Close Yet So Far_

This was, to put it simple, becoming way too troublesome for his liking.

First they had been sent to that troublesome mission. Secondly, they had been told that they had to give up their first plan, and come up with a second one in order to go to the country they were now supposed to go to. And since he was the brains of his team, that meant he was the one who had to think about everything, without forgetting the precautions and the precise minutes they could use for a break. Thirdly…

With a tired sigh, Shikamaru looked to his left side.

Thirdly, on the way to the Land of Wind, his team had encountered a familiar Sand shinobi, who had been on her way to Amegakure. Of course that when she told them the reason why she was going to the Village Hidden in Rain, Ino had quickly stepped in, and explain that Temari no longer had to go to the Land of Rain.

And of course that since this was all about her brother; Temari had had no need to think twice about ditching her current mission, and join them.

At the beginning everything had went smoothly; Chouji had spent his time eating and staring at Ino. Ino had spent half of her time trying to bond with Temari, who was too much worried about her brother to even think about making a new friend during their way to Sunagakure.

And that left him to think about the distance that still separated them from Sunagakure. Yes, because Shikamaru knew there was only one plausible reason for everyone to be heading to the Hidden Village Among Sand, and that reason started with Naruto and possibly ended in Gaara.

Things were definitely getting too troublesome. If everyone was indeed going in the same direction as his team, then it meant that the enemy was probably going to try to attack Sunagakure before making their way to Konohagakure. And Shikamaru really did not fancy getting into a pointless fight or just cross his arms, and watch two villages being attacked for some unknown reason.

Or perhaps, that was not such an anonymous reason as it seemed…

Yes, because even though being a Jounin was a pain, having that same rank meant having the luxury of being informed of certain things that no one else knew of. And due the fact the Godaime trusted in him, Shikamaru had found himself working as a keeper of the biggest secret of his village of that moment.

There was only one reasonable reason for Sunagakure and Konohagakure to be attacked, and regardless of the people that could be involved, there was only one possible goal.

To find Uchiha Sasuke.

Of course that if Naruto and Gaara were in Sunagakure, then their enemies could every well try to attack them, but to free Sasuke still made more sense.

_Much_ more sense.

"How long is it going to take?" Temari questioned suddenly, and Shikamaru sighed before glancing at the blonde by the corner of his eyes.

"If we keep this pace, we'll be there in less than one hour." the Jounin retorted, but he raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw Temari glancing down, a worried expression on her face. "Man, listen up, I have no clue why we were told to go to your village, but it mustn't be that bad."

"No, you don't understand." Temari whispered, and slowly she raised a hand that she quickly pressed against her chest. "I feel as if something is about to happen. I felt the same when Gaara was banned from the village."

"Tsk, we can go faster." Shikamaru answered though he did not believe that Chouji could keep up if he kept eating everything that was inside his bag pack.

"Yes, I want that." Temari replied, and Shikamaru mentally sighed before looking over his shoulder at his two team mates, who were too focused in keeping up the speed to listen to the conversation.

"C'mon guys, lets speed up just a bit."

"A bit? This is my maximum!" Ino growled, a flash of anger crossing her clear eyes. "I'm going to kill whoever is forcing me to do this!"

"Yeah, I can't eat at this speed!" Chouji complained as well, and Shikamaru sighed at his team mates' behaviour. Yep, things were indeed getting even more troublesome…

* * *

Alright, apparently her counts had been perfect. All of them had taken just the right amount of soldier pills, and there were still three left, for emergencies. All that worried her was the possibility of one of her team mates becoming addicted to the pills; it was a tad infrequent for such to happen, but she had already witnessed some ninja who had became depended on those pills.

But then again, they were two hours away from Sunagakure. The soldier pills had helped them not only in the sense of giving them more energy, but also in the sense that they did not feel the need to stop for a breather. But then again, Hana could almost swear that the fact they had not done any break ever since they had left the Land of Lightning had to do with everybody's anxiety to find out what could be going on in the Land of Wind.

As she leaped from another branch, Hana glanced at her new teams. Neji was the one who was probably more exhausted since he had scarcely deactivated his Byakugan. However, Hana had noticed that Tenten had never left Neji's side, and perhaps her silent support was what was truly helping the Jounin not to give in to the weariness. As for Lee, he had never left her side, and occasionally the two of them talked about things, but only enough to make sure that the two of them were alright and did not need to rest.

After observing her team mates, Hana glanced at the branches above her, which stopped her from gazing at the sky. She just hoped that the other teams were alright as well. Neji had said that it was probable that everyone was now heading to Sunagakure, and Hana really hoped that that was true. A week had passed ever since they had left Konohagakure, and she was already worried about her cousin.

Oh, she just hoped Shikamaru had managed to stop Chouji from getting in trouble.

At the thought of the lazy boy, Hana shook her head, and forced herself to focus on her mission. She knew that Shikamaru was going to look after Chouji; the two of them were more than friends, they were like brothers, and Hana knew they were always more than ready to give their lives for each other.

"Tenten!" a voice shouted suddenly, and Hana snapped from her thoughts only to see Neji holding Tenten's wrist. Apparently the girl had lost her balance, and would have most likely smashed against the ground if it had not been for Neji's quick reflexes.

"Tenten, are you alright?" Lee asked as he helped Neji to bring their female team mate to the branch where they were now standing. "What happened?"

"A damn cramp happened." Tenten hissed as Neji helped her to sit down on the branch, and she quickly started rubbing her leg, just below her right knee, and Hana quickly went to her side. "But never mind, we don't have time to lose."

"Wait, don't stand up, or it will get worse." Hana spoke in her medical tone, and her team mates stared at her. "You need to stay down, and relax. You have every reason to have a leg cramp right now; muscle fatigue and heavy exercising being the two most important symptoms. All we need to do is to relax your muscle, give you two minutes to rest, and then we can leave."

"I don't have time to relax my muscle, nor do I wan to." Tenten disagreed with a small shake of her head. "We have to go to Sunagakure immediately. I'm alright, my leg is fine."

"It doesn't look fine to me." Hana pointed out, observing the muscle's contractions. "Just let me massage it, and then stretch it. In a couple of minutes you will be ready to continue." as she spoke Hana glanced at Neji, who was still standing next to Tenten, and he silently nodded.

"Argh, whatever, just make it quick!" Tenten grunted as she looked away, but Hana knew that the girl was annoyed because she believed she was delaying them.

"C'mon Tenten, you know we need you at your best." Lee said suddenly with his usual grin, and Tenten looked at him. "Who knows what we're going to find in Suna? That's why we all need to be at our best, and that includes you."

"Oh, fine." Tenten muttered, and with a small smile Hana started massaging the brunette's leg, being careful enough not to hurt her. Especially since stretching come next, and people often complained about that part.

"Byakugan!" Neji hissed before starting to glance around, but he quickly focused his attention on the path they had yet to make. "I can see the village; we'll be there before sunset."

"You bet we are, because there's no way you're going to play nice, and reduce our pace just because of a stupid cramp." Tenten hissed, and for a moment Hana could not help but mentally chuckle. Those two behaved like an old married couple sometimes…

"Let Hana-san treat your leg, and then we'll see at what speed we shall go, okay?" Lee inquired, and Tenten glanced at him before nodding, though annoyance was still clear in her eyes. "Besides, Gai-sensei wouldn't let you try to go beyond your present force."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Tenten questioned suspiciously, but before Lee could answer, Neji shifted.

"It's them…" the Hyuuga whispered, and everyone looked up at him, although Hana did not stop her massage. "Team 8 is just about to enter in the village, and….Team 9 is right behind them. They'll probably meet inside. That if Hinata-sama has her Byakugan activated."

"Ah no, we're so not going to be the last ones." Tenten hissed before looking at Hana, who was staring into space. "Oi, Hana, do you think I can stand up now?"

"W-what? Oh no, wait." Hana replied as she focused her attention back to her team mate, and then she grasped Tenten's right ankle and foot. "I'm going to stretch your muscle now, it will only take ten seconds, but you know this has to hurt."

"Trust me, I know what pain is, and this is nothing." Tenten answered, and Hana nodded before starting to stretch the muscle tenderly in order not to increase the pain. Her spirit, however, was no longer inside her body; all she could think was about who she was going to see once inside Suna.

"What the…?" Neji questioned suddenly, and both Lee and Tenten looked confusedly at him. Hana, on the other hand, took a few more seconds to understand that someone had spoken, and her mind slowly started gaining control of her actions again.

"Neji, what's wrong?" Tenten asked as Hana dropped her leg gently, but for a moment Neji just kept staring forward, to where Sunagakure was.

Then, Neji's eyes widened in surprise.

"Shit."

And Byakugan or not, everyone managed to see a strange white light that flashed in the horizon.

* * *

If there was something that he had always wanted as a child, was to become a very powerful ninja that could protect both his family and his village without fearing death. As he grew up, he learnt the duties that haunted his father everywhere he went, and learnt how to respect his father.

However, when Gaara was only a toddler, he also learnt how to look past appearances, and noticed the hatred his father seemed to feel towards his younger brother. Kankurou had always thought that his father's hate had somewhat to do with the lost of his wife, but when he discovered what was inside Gaara, Kankurou started having doubts about what was the true reason for his father's odium.

Truth was that even though he had grown up under the supervision of the Kage of Sunagakure – his father – he had never pictured himself as being the next leader of his village. In fact, he had always pictured himself as a great shinobi, who protected his loved ones with his puppets, and helped his siblings in everything they needed.

But faith had decided to be cruel with him, and at the moment Kankurou was being suffocated by piles and piles of paper that seemed to spring from the ground. Not only that, but he was growing deaf as well, since Baki was reporting every little thing for the past hour.

Heavens, he sure was not the best person for the job.

"Break!" Kankurou exclaimed suddenly as he dropped the document he had been reading, and Baki closed his mouth almost immediately. "Good grief, no wonder my father ended up being the lunatic he was. Are you trying to drive me insane?"

"Kazekage-sama, you know very well that you need to know every procedure." Baki replied, and Kankurou took a very long breath before leaning against the back of his chair. "It will only take another hour for everything to be finished."

"One hour for me to lose my mind, you mean." Kankurou growled under his breath before gazing at Baki in the eye. "Have you heard from Temari? I haven't received one single report about her."

"We haven't received anything from her, Kazekage-sama." Baki said, straightening even more, and Kankurou sighed, not bothering to hide his fatigue. "Please, Kankurou, you know this is very important."

"Finding my brother is important, and I haven't seen you trying to find him ever since Temari left." Kankurou retorted, but Baki just continued staring at him. "Do you really think the Council was being correct by sending Gaara away?"

"My opinion about this matter is irrelevant now, especially after the Council's decision." Baki answered, and Kankurou rolled his eyes before standing up from his chair.

"That's bull, and you know it." the young man started, but Baki said nothing. "Everyone knows that the Council based the decision in the villagers' fears and in their own requests. Gaara didn't have a fair trial, and now, because of a bunch of old people, he's out there, and I haven't heard about him for one year."

"Kankurou, respect the Council." Baki said in an authoritative tone, but Kankurou simply smirked at him before turning to his side, and gaze through the window beside him. "You know very well there's nothing we can do now."

"You could very well try to find my brother's whereabouts, but you're too worried about respecting the Council, to see what's fair and what's not." Kankurou retorted, still gazing through the window. "When the decision was made, Gaara came to me, and told me he wanted to change. He told me he was ready to start all-over again, but you never gave him the chance to do it."

"Perhaps, in time the Council will reconsider." Baki said, and Kankurou could not help but laugh at the words.

"Baki, you and I know that the Council only wanted Gaara because he was considerate as being the Ultimate Weapon." the Kazekage started, "Just like you and I know that Gaara's the one who should be occupying my father's place."

"Even if Gaara was here, you know he's not stable enough to watch over a whole village." Baki spoke up, and Kankurou looked at him before gazing through the window again, this time remembering his brother's words.

"_I know. I know, but sitting around waiting will cause more fear and suffering. In order to escape a path of loneliness, I have no choice but work hard and make my own path. If I do that, then someday… Someday… I can be like him. That's why, as a shinobi of the Sand, I'll aim to be the Kazekage. So I can live a life connected to my village."_ (1)

"Gaara's wish was always to watch over the village." Kankurou started bitterly, but Baki did not say anything. "He wanted to make things better. He wanted to improve, and show that he could protect everyone from Shukaku, but you never gave him the chance to prove himself."

"You know very well that the Council was thinking about the village as well, when they made the final decision." Baki started. "You know very well that the village comes above everyone's needs and desires. Do not blame the Council for thinking about the villagers when they decided to ban Gaara."

"So you think they did the best thing to Suna when they decided to ban my brother?" Kankurou questioned, looking at Baki again, revulsion clear in his words. "Do you really think they did the best thing by banning someone who was struggling to become a better person?"

"_I want to work hard so that others will accept my existence. That's what I thought when I looked at Uzumaki Naruto. Up until now, my bonds with others have only been ones of hatred and murder. But, seeing him fight so hard made me wonder what a bond really is. I think I understand a little now. Suffering, sadness…and joy. To be able to share it with another person… Uzumaki Naruto. When I fought him, I feel that is what he taught me. He experienced the same type of suffering as I. And he taught me that you can change how you live your life. Someday, I want my existence to be necessary to others. Not as a weapon to be feared, but as the Hidden Village of Sand's Kazekage." _(1.2)

"Kankurou, my opinion about this matter doesn't have any weight now." Baki tried to reason, but Kankurou decided to ignore him by gazing through the window again. However, this time, instead of looking straight at the clear sky, he looked straight at a very strange looking bird, which had a person on its back.

"What the…?" Kankurou trailed off when he was forced to close his eyes due to a very blinding white light, and he almost went deaf at the sound of a very thunderous explosion.

But the destruction of the wall that protected Kankurou from the outside never came, and it was in slow motion that Kankurou lowered both his arms. In confusion, he run towards the window he had been staring at, and his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw.

_Suna no Tate_...

A shield of sand…

An enormous shield of sand that was floating just above the tallest buildings of Suna, and that had clearly protected the whole village from the explosion.

But it could not be. There was only one person who could create that shield, and it was impossible for him to be there without Kankurou knowing!

"Gaara!" Kankurou shouted before he could stop himself, and without bothering to explain what was going on, he stormed out of the office, Baki following him swiftly.

His heart was pounding painfully against his chest, drops of sweat rolling down his face as anxiety and nervousness continued to consume all his limbs and organs. It could not be Gaara, but at same time there was no other explanation. No one else could use sand like that…

"Gaara!" Kankurou shouted as he pushed the front doors of the building open, but he was forced to stop his tracks at the sight in front of him.

It was Gaara, but at same time it was not.

Layers of sand were consuming his younger brother's left arm as he struggled to keep the shield of sand up with his right one. Gaara had his back turned to Kankurou, his head lifted up to the sky, but when he gazed up, Kankurou noticed that his brother was not only worrying about the shield of sand.

Just below the shield was the same strange bird he had seen.

"Never thought you were this quick. Un." a male voice commented suddenly, and Kankurou narrowed his eyes when he spotted the blond person standing on the back of the bird. "But look at that arm of yours… Very interesting, un…"

"Damn it." Kankurou hissed under his breath, very conscious about what could happen if Gaara's arm ended up completely covered by sand. Kankurou knew he had to do something to stop it, but he also knew it was suicidal to approach Gaara; especially since he did not know if Gaara was still in charge or not.

"What the…?" Baki spoke as he stepped forward, his eyes locked with the huge shield of sand, that had started quivering and floating to the left side, to the outer walls of the village.

"Go Gaara!" Kankurou cheered, knowing that Gaara was trying to keep the village safe, and struggling even more to control the shield regardless of its dimension. "You can do it!"

"Tsk, this ain't finished, un." the blond spoke with a smirk as he watched the shield of sand starting to fall apart just outside the village, until it was completely gone. Gaara, on the other hand, was already panting slightly, sand still accumulating around his left arm.

"Baki, call the teams!" Kankurou commanded as he turned to the tall man, who was standing beside him. Without thinking twice, Baki nodded, and immediately started shouting for orders.

"…And tell the medical teams to create a barrier around the hospital, as soon as the civilians are inside!" Baki added as he watched all the sand shinobi running around, civilians now screaming for not understanding what was going on. "Kankurou, do you really think you should be here?"

"You've got to be delusional if you think I'm going to abandon my brother." Kankurou hissed back, but it was then that he saw a flash of yellow, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Naruto!"

"Gaara let me help you!" Naruto shouted, completely oblivious of the fact someone had just shouted his name. "You can't do this all by yourself!"

In reply, sand started leaving Gaara's gourd as the boy kept staring at the person standing on top of the bird. Gaara's eyes, usually blank of any emotion, were now blazing with anger and determination, something that, in any other situation, would have surprised Naruto.

"Save the child." Gaara spoke, and before Naruto could even open his mouth, sand started shooting from the ground, directed at the bird. "Save the two girls you were supposed to protect."

"But…"

"Just go." Gaara interrupted without ever looking away from his opponent. "I'll be fine."

"Fine, be careful." Naruto said before dashing in direction of the park at same time Gaara raised a hand, and sand kept trying to hit the bird constantly.

"Someone with a bad temper is always interesting. Un." the person on top of the bird commented as he continued dodging every attack, and the corner of his lips curled into a smirk. "But I know his secret, un. That sand of his… I'm sure he's not called the Ultimate Weapon for nothing, un. Shame I don't have the time to play with him, un."

Suddenly the blond took his hands from inside the two bags he had, one on each hip, and closed them into strong fists. For a moment there was the sound of munching, but when he opened his hands, two little birds were on his palms.

"I really wanted to show him how art can be a blast, but Sasori will most likely kill me, un." the man spoke as the bird he was riding kept dodging every attack from the sand. "Shame really."

However, when he looked down, ready to throw the small birds he was holding, the man opened his eyes wide in surprise when he saw sand coming right at him. Strangely, and even though the bird managed to dodge it, he looked up in time to see sand collecting in the middle of the sky, like a cloud.

"What the…?"

"_Suna Shigure._" (2) Gaara hissed, and drops of sand start falling down like raindrops right over his opponent and its odd bird at high speed with very harmful shapes.

"Damn, I wasn't counting with this." the blond hissed, but the smirk never left his face as he continued to try to protect himself from the sand rain. "Tsk, time for the great finale. Un."

Without blinking, the blond dropped the two little birds he had been holding before raising his right hand in front of his face. For a moment, his eyes meet Gaara's, but he did not even blink when he muttered '_Katsu_' (3).

A look of surprise crossed Kankurou's face as he watched the two small birds that the stranger had thrown explode, but this detonation – even though double – was nothing compared with the first. In fact, aside from the blinding white light, two clouds of smoke covered the whole place instead of two destructive explosions.

"Damn it!" Kankurou hissed as he tried to see something through the dark smoke. "Gaara!"

Despite the fact he could hardly see anything ahead of him; Kankurou started making his way towards the spot where he had last seen his brother, a hand covering his face. A warm wind was finally blowing, but for Kankurou it took too long for the smoke to dissipate.

"Gaara!" a voice shouted suddenly, and Kankurou took a deep breath when the air cleared out, and he blinked when he saw Naruto coming from afar, with an arm around a distressed looking girl. "Gaara, they took her!"

Even though he did not understand what was going on, Kankurou saw his brother turning to Naruto and the strange girl, sand now falling down his left arm. Gaara's face was blank, as always, but there was something in the depths of his cyan coloured eyes that surprised Kankurou…in the positive way.

"Gaara, we have problems!" Naruto continued shouting as he helped the girl walking since she was limping. "They took Maiko, and I don't know where!"

And Kankurou faced his biggest surprise when he heard two words leaving Gaara's lips.

"Let's go."

**To Be Continued...**

(1) (1.2) – Gaara's speech was taken from _Naruto Shippuunden_ Episode 5.

(2) _Suna Shigure_ or _Sand Drizzle_ – It allows Gaara to collect sand in the air that rains down on the opponent at high speeds in potentially harmful shapes.

(3)_ Katsu_ means _detonate_.


	16. Meeting You Later

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I want to thank **Silvan Arrow**, **sallyluv16**, **Mood-chan**, **SGCred**, **Terenin**, **Chronostorm**, **bernardo**, **AlexiaWinters** _and_ **GaaraRoxmySox** for all your support. Thank you guys, you rock!

* * *

**Chapter 15**

_Meeting You Later_

"_I just hope you don't change that much, Hinata. I think you're a great person, and I hope you won't allow anyone to change you into what they expect you to be."_

"_Say, why are we going to Suna again?"_

"Because of the reason you were sent on this mission."

Unconsciously, Hinata pressed a hand against her chest as she continued running through another empty street, her Byakugan activated. When they had been meters away from the north entrance of Sunagakure, she had witnessed the three unexplainable explosions. Everyone else had immediately started questioning her about what was happening, except for Kakashi and Mesi who had been too worried about entering inside the Village Hidden Among Sand to inquire about what was going on.

But now that they were inside Sunagakure, and were welcomed by empty streets, everyone had understood that something very wrong had happened. And that was why they were heading towards the building where the Kazekage's office was.

And towards where they hoped to find Naruto.

At the name, Hinata felt her heart skip a beat, and she mentally took a deep breath. That was simply not the time to think about Naruto or about her feelings towards him, but at same time it was not as if she could just command her heart and mind not to think about it. Hinata was beginning to feel too concerned to command her mind to focus on her mission instead of in the blond.

"Shino, I want you and your team to go check what happened." Kakashi spoke suddenly, and Hinata looked at him since she had just deactivated her Byakugan. "Mesi and I are going to talk with the Kazekage. If you find something, warn us immediately; we'll keep you informed as well."

"Bah, we always end up being scouts." Kiba grunted with annoyance, Akamaru running beside him.

"Do I have to go as well?" Sakura questioned, and Kakashi gazed at her before nodding. "But I should go with you. Maybe they have information about Naruto, and I…"

"If we find information about Naruto, you'll be the first to know." Kakashi interrupted, and Hinata saw Sakura clenching her hands into strong fists even though her face was empty of any anger.

Both of them were anxious to hear about Naruto… So restless that they could think about nothing except running towards the Kazekage's office, and question if someone had heard from Naruto.

"We'll return in less than one hour." Shino spoke suddenly, and in a matter of seconds the team was split up into two smaller groups.

"Kids from Konoha are really obedient nowadays." Mesi commented as she stopped in front of the main doors of the building where the Kazekage was, and Kakashi shrugged.

"Trust me, you caught them in a good day." the male Jounin answered, but instead of replying, Mesi simply pushed the doors open, and walked inside only to see people running around, shouting questions and orders.

"It's seems like we just missed the excitement." Mesi murmured, loud enough for Kakashi to hear. "Damn, your lateness is starting to affect us all Hatake; you better stay away from me from now on."

"As if that would ever happen," Kakashi replied without taking his eye away from the commotion, but Mesi still glanced at him before rolling her eyes. "Oh, found him. Oi, Baki!"

"Hatake Kakashi, what are you doing here?" the sand ninja questioned when he spotted the newcomers still standing close to the front doors. "If you're in need of some assistance I regret to inform you that Sunagakure is unable to send reinforcements."

"Cut the crap, Baki, we know he's here." Mesi spoke suddenly as she rested both her hands on her hips, her eyes locked with the tall man. "So, do you want to help us out, and tell us where he is, or do we have to look around?"

"Kourui Mesi, I remember you quite well." Baki started after a very short period of silence, and the female Jounin smirked. "Most people say you must have gone through a lot for you to talk like that. I remember quite well how shy you were, and how you hated to speak in public."

"Well, what can I say; life can be a crap sometimes." Mesi retorted, but Baki continued to stare at her with an empty expression. "Anyway, where the heck is he? I think you're pretty much aware how everyone just wants to find him, and take him back to his home."

"I assume you're referring to Uzumaki Naruto." Baki pointed out, and while Mesi stared at him as if he was playing stupid, Kakashi maintained his blank mask. "He was here some minutes ago, but left before we could stop him."

"He left?" Mesi asked in disbelief while Kakashi sighed. "Ah c'mon, are you kidding me? Why on earth did you let him leave?"

"Gaara was with him." Baki continued to explain, and the two Jounin silently waited for him to proceed. "But they did not come alone, apparently two girls were with them; a child and her older sister."

"Apparently?" Mesi repeated, before raising an eyebrow in suspicion. "What? You're not even sure if they were travelling with two other people?"

"For you to be here at this moment, I presume you heard the explosions." Baki said, and Kakashi nodded. "We were just attacked by an unfamiliar opponent, who apparently created a diversion. It was only when we saw the shield of sand protecting the village from the first explosion that we became aware that Gaara was here, along with Naruto."

"So, the guy created the diversion for what reason exactly?" Mesi asked, and Baki motioned for them to follow him to an empty office, so that they could speak in private.

"The child that was with them…" Baki started after closing the door of the office behind him, and both Mesi and Kakashi watched him in silence. "She was kidnapped, and since her sister was so desperate to find her, both Naruto and Gaara decided to departure immediately."

"And you did nothing to stop them?" Kakashi questioned, "After such an attack, I assumed you would try to talk to them before letting them do something as foolish as going after an unknown enemy."

"Actually, Kazekage-sama went after them." Baki quickly elaborated, "I'm sure that if someone will be able to convince Gaara to come back to take care of all procedures for this mission, that will be Kakurou-sama."

"You know what? You keep chatting with Kakashi about this new enemy," Mesi started as she made her way towards the door, "On the mean time, I'm going after the guys. I believe they are going to need more than just words to convince Gaara, Naruto and the girl to stay around for a few more hours."

And before someone could utter a word, Mesi walked through the door, leaving the two men to decide what they should do.

* * *

They were running at full speed, and yet it seemed as if they were moving at slow motion. Mairi's distress was almost palpable as they tried to find to where whoever had taken Maiko had gone to. Gaara's impassive expression could fool anyone who did not know him for enough time, but since they had been wandering around together for one year now, Naruto knew that Gaara was simply covering his slight concern towards the child.

However, truth to be told, if they were in some other situation, Naruto would be teasing Gaara by now, for his attempt to try to look unaffected by the whole situation. In particular, since they had just encountered Kankurou, even though it had been for a split of a second.

But that was no time to tease people, and Naruto knew it. All that mattered now was to discover the direction the kidnapper had taken. And it was then that Naruto cursed the fact there was no Hyuuga member with them, to use Byakugan to help them in the search.

"Naruto?" a voice questioned suddenly, loud enough for the blond to hear, and despite the urgency of the situation, Naruto forced himself to stop by digging his heels in the ground. Gaara and Mairi still ran a few steps until they noticed his absence.

"N-Naruto?" Mairi asked her eyes still slightly red since she had been doing her best not to cry, but the blond just continued looking around him.

"Oi, Naruto!" the same voice called out again, this time in a louder tone, and the container of the Nine Tail gazed up in confusion, only to allow his mouth to drop moments later. Well, there was no Byakugan there, but help was very welcome.

"Shikamaru!"

"What on earth are you doing?" the Jounin questioned as he jumped from the branch where he was standing only to fall on the ground, on his feet, his hands never leaving his pockets.

"Ah, no time to explain, but you're most welcome!" Naruto started before noticing the people who were standing in various branches. "And you brought the whole team. That's great! The more the better."

"Gaara!" a feminine voice yelled suddenly, and Naruto only had time to see a glimpse of blonde hair before seeing Temari standing right in front of her younger brother, a strange look of contentment on her face. "Gaara…"

"…Temari." was all Gaara said as he continued to stand next to Mairi, who was still too worried about her sister to acknowledge what was going on around her instantaneously.

"Guys, listen, it would be awesome if we could just sit down, and chat, but we have to go." Naruto started suddenly before looking straight at Shikamaru. "We have to find a kidnaper."

"A what?" Ino asked, but a look of distress quickly replaced her annoyed expression. "What are we waiting for? Temari, you coming with us?"

"Of course, you need someone who knows the way." the sand kunoichii replied before glancing at her brother. "And two sand shinobi are always better than one."

"Great, let's go then!" Naruto shouted, but after three steps, he found himself slamming against an invisible wall. "What the hell…?"

"Naruto, we don't have time to lose, move it!" Ino commanded, but when she leaped towards the closest branch, she also slammed against something invisible, and landed on her butt.

"Are you alright?" Chouji questioned as he helped his female team mate to stand up, but Ino simply continued to rub her lower back.

"What on earth is going on in here?" the blonde asked, and slowly Temari raised a hand as she gave three steps forward, Shikamaru mimicking her actions in silence.

"It looks like some sort of shield." Temari muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, and Shikamaru silently run his fingers through the invisible barrier, a look of meditation on his face.

"Ninjutsu." the lazy genius stated as he continued to touch the shield. "Someone is stopping us from moving forward."

"Well, whoever it is," Naruto started before gazing around, and shout, "Bring it on!"

"Oh, I will pretty boy, but I don't think you have what it's needed." a female voice retorted, and everyone looked to their side only to see a woman with teal coloured hair step from behind a tree. "But I advise you to calm down even if just a tad. I certainly don't want to carry you around if you have a heart-attack."

Without thinking twice, Naruto turned to the woman, a look of pure madness on his face at same time he clenched both his hands into strong fists. Everyone else was also in their fighting stance.

"Where's Maiko?" Naruto asked, revealing his anger through his words, but the woman simply looked away from him, and stared right at Mairi. "Where is she?"

"Oh, shut up." the woman retorted, and Naruto – despite the first shock – narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The woman, on the meantime, stared right at Mairi. "Look, my name is Mesi, and I came after you to tell you to go back to Sunagakure."

"Are you kidding? We have to go after the kidnaper now!" Naruto shouted, staring at Mesi as if she was insane. "And why should we trust you?"

"Because at the moment I'm the partner of your sensei, Hatake Kakashi, and also because you pretty much don't have a chance." Mesi replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I can shrink that shield without blinking, and force you to start moving towards Suna."

"Kakashi-sensei…" Naruto whispered, but before he could continue, Mairi moved forward.

"Please, I have to find my sister." the medical-nin form Kirigakure started, shaking slightly. "I need to find her…"

"And we will, after we have a plan." Mesi said in a determinate tone of voice, "You just have to trust me."

"I agree with her!" a voice exclaimed, and everyone saw Kankurou stepping from behind Mesi, panting a little bit. "I told you to wait when you showed up."

"As if I would ever listen to a kid like you." Mesi replied with a superior look, and Kankurou growled at her words before turning his attention to his friends.

"Listen, we are going to find kidnapper, but you can't just leave like that." the Kazekage started, "Let's go to Sunagakure, talk to Baki, and come up with a plan. I'm certain we'll be able to find the best way to discover the kidnapper's whereabouts. Besides, we have a better chance of succeeding if we all work together."

"But we'll be loosing precious time." Naruto retorted before throwing his arms in the air, "Time we can't afford to lose if we want to catch the bastard who took Maiko."

"Listen, I understand, but you need to start thinking with your head, not with your mind." Mesi started, "As a ninja, you should all know that, and trust me, we're going to need all help we can get to find the guy who took the child."

"What do you mean?" Ino asked, but this time it was Kankurou who spoke to everyone although his eyes were locked with Gaara's.

"C'mon guys, let's just stop wasting time, and go to Sunagakure."

* * *

The end of the day was blissfully quiet; the refreshing breeze was murmuring a melody with the leaves, birds were dancing in the sky, getting lost in the few white clouds. The sky itself was now painted with all the colours of the rainbow, growing darker as the sun faded from behind tall trees.

Slowly, the front door of an old-looking cottage was opened, and a young woman stepped outside, her long amethyst-purple hair falling below her shoulder-blades even though the front streaks reached just below her cheeks. As she raised her head, the girl's lips curled into a small smile. Then, she caressed the black cloth that was covering her eyes, and that tied up into a knot behind her head, underneath her hair.

It was time for her to get going; it was getting extremely lately, and she knew how Tsunade would react if she arrived late. In fact, she did not want to arrive late, because she knew that Konohagakure was already being too liberal by allowing her to go there on the first place.

After making sure that the door was locked, the girl started making her way down the path that would lead her towards the protection and comfort of the forest. The tall trees offered nothing but shelter, and there was always an animal to break the silence, and some plant to offer food when rations were short.

With a small smile, the girl stepped on top of a root, and immediately understood that she was entering in the forest realm. Accordingly to her counts, she would arrive to Konohagakure in two days, including the breaks in the morning to rest and eat.

However, after half an hour walking through the middle of the trees, the girl started to slow her pace down, her ears becoming sharper. There was something different that night; she could not exactly point out what had changed, since she could not hear anything, but there was something wandering around that was giving her goosebumps.

Then, she heard it…

The small growl…

"I thought I had told you I'm no longer interested in helping you out." the girl spoke suddenly as she stopped her tracks, and a small breeze made her turn to her left side. "And you know better than sneaking behind me like that."

"Actually, we're not behind you, we're at your side." a female voice retorted, but it was a black panther that emerged from behind a strong tree. "And how can you ditch us when you don't know what brought us here on the first place?"

"Because I know Sasuke is with you, and personally, I really doubt you have something to tell me, Suki." the girl said as she turned to her side, the black cloth around her eyes stopping her from looking at the two ninja that emerged from the trees, and stood next to the panther.

"Senko, it's time." Sasuke spoke suddenly, in a calm tone, while the black haired girl beside him started caressing the panther on the head. "You were fully aware that this day would come."

"I'm no longer interested." Senko started, unconsciously caressing the black cloth before dropping her hand. "Konohagakure has accepted to help me, and I won't turn my back to this opportunity."

"And you can't turn your back to this opportunity either." Suki spoke, her carmine coloured eyes locked with Senko's form. "You knew we were going to show up one day, and you knew that Sasuke was going to help you with your problem, so why did you get so hasty?"

"I believe that waiting for four years is more than enough." Senko started, before shrugging, "Besides, when I heard that Sasuke had been captured, I really didn't feel like waiting any longer. And I think it would be rather foolish of my part to let go of this opportunity."

"You know I can give you much more." Sasuke clarified, his face empty of any emotion, but Senko said nothing. "I can start with what you wish the most, and then give you what we agreed."

"Besides, we all know that you want to come with us." Suki pointed out, "Especially now that Akatsuki is on the move. And you know what that means; don't you? Not to mention that you know perfectly well why we need you on the team."

The day had been so perfect up until that moment…now, not even the birds seemed to dare to chirp. The once refreshing breeze seemed to be waiting for an answer while the silence in the forest seemed to become deafening.

For a moment, Senko just stood on the same spot, her head turned to the spot where she knew that Sasuke, Suki and the panther were. Choices… Life was all about choices, but sometimes, the wrong path was too alluring and haunting…

"Very well…" Senko whispered before clenching her right hand into a strong fist, "What is it that you need me to do?"

"Well, with you, following certain people sure will become easier." Sasuke started, still with a blank expression on his face. "Now, we just have to find the rabbit we want to hunt and eradicate it."

**To Be Continued…**


	17. Closer to No One

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I just want to thank **sallyluv16**, **Silvan Arrow**, **YamiKyuubi**, **Terenin**, **GaaraRoxmySox**, **Blue Bragon**, **ElementalDarkness**, **SGCred**, **Interdictor**, **typo**, **saltndpepper** _and_ **AlexiaWinters** for everything. Seriously, your support is amazing! I apology, once again, for the lack of fights, and Interdictor, I may accept your offer to help me out. I'll send you a message, if that's okay with you.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

_Closer to No One_

"_I heard some interesting rumours. Would you mind explaining them to me?"_

She was one step away from passing out; her heart was beating at lighting speed, her blood was rushing through her body like a wild river, sending warmth everywhere at same time she shivered. Her right hand was closed into a tight fist, leaned against her chest, while her eyes were locked with the floor.

She had never been so nervous in her entire life!

"_I was informed that you were not along yesterday night. Would you like to tell me with whom you were with?"_

After such a long time…after what had resembled to an excruciating perpetuity, it was time. And even though she had spent many nights dreaming about that encounter, she was now dreading the moment when the door of the office would be opened.

She feared the moment when her life would freeze in time, even though she was positive that her legs would become jelly while her pale complexion would become red as a rose. It was so easy to picture the second her eyes would encounter his, and it was so simply to imagine her ruining that moment for not being able to control herself.

"_That boy is a menace! You're a disgrace to this family, and yet instead of trying to become stronger and accepted by your family, you go even lower. You know very what the consequences will be if you don't change."_

She could still remember the night when he had said goodbye. In fact, if she closed her eyes, she would feel the strength of his muscles, the warmth emanating from his body, and his peculiar smell of ramen.

Oh, she was so addicted to him, and yet he seemed to be unaware of her compulsion. He was so naïve when it came to understanding that someone wanted to be with him, that someone wanted to make him happy…that someone wanted to tell him that she had noticed him when no one else had.

And yet, while all she wanted was to blurt out her most surreptitious secret, she was held back. There were so many things stopping her from parting her lips, and confessing how much she treasured all those little moments she shared with him…there were so many reasons that stopped her from admitting how she loved the way he made her laugh…so many people were stopping her from declaring how she loved when he treated her differently, even though he was not aware of that.

"_You are aware that the only reason why you're still here, it's because you are the heir of this clan. You may be weak, worthless, and completely pitiful, but you're still my first child. However, if you even dare to think about being with that boy again, alone, you may consider yourself disinherited."_

"Hey, Hinata, are you alright?" Kiba asked suddenly, and the girl snapped from her thoughts only to look at her team mate, and smile softly at him. "Something is clearly bothering you. Is it because of Naruto?"

"I'm alright, Kiba-kun." Hinata answered, making sure to avoid the boy's question, her lips still curled up into a faint smile. "Just thinking about what we're supposed to do now, that we're here."

"Well, we're most likely to inform Tsunade-sama that everyone's here, and that we found Naruto." Kiba started, his hands resting behind his neck, "Unless, of course, someone already did that."

"Kakashi-sensei told us that Naruto went after the person who attacked the village." Sakura spoke suddenly as she continued leaning against the wall, her arms pressed against her chest, "We're most likely to go after them as well, especially now that we have Kiba, Akamaru, and both Hyuuga members with us."

At those words, Hinata looked to the wall across her position where Neji was, also leaning against the wall with his arms pressed against his chest, his eyes closed although everyone knew he was meditating. His team had arrived shortly after Team 8, and now they were all waiting for Team 9 to show up, along with Naruto, Gaara, and Kankurou.

"_You should ask for Neji to help you. It's shameful that a member of the head family must ask for advises for someone from the branch family. You're truly not up for the job."_

With a small deep breath, Hinata focused her attention on the closed door of the office. Kakashi had left with Baki, to wait for Naruto and the others at the front door. Everyone else had received orders not to abandon the office in any case, which had only enraged some of the members like Lee and Kiba.

As she licked her lips in nervousness, Hinata could not help but recall everything that her father had told her when he found out that she had been with Naruto on the night he disappeared. He had called her worthless, unworthy of the name she carried, but then she would also remember the words Naruto had whispered to her before fading into the shadows.

"_I just hope you don't change that much, Hinata. I think you're a great person, and I hope you won't allow anyone to change you into what they expect you to be."_

And those had been the words that had forced her to train harder. Hinata was indeed thankful for the fact that even though he was not among them, Naruto still supported her, but most importantly _accepted_ her for who she was.

And that was why she wanted to badly to be able to help him to go back to the village, and clear his name.

It was indeed time for Naruto to be accepted for whom he was, and not for what people thought that he was.

A soft sound forced Hinata to snap from her memories, and the girl looked at the door in time to see the doorknob moving. However, it was only when the door was being opened that everyone looked at it in time to see Ino walking inside, quickly followed by Chouji and Shikamaru. But before something could be said or done, Gaara stepped inside, a hand resting on the shoulder of a distressed looking girl, and Kankurou followed suit.

And then everything happened in slow motion.

The first thing Hinata saw, was a tanned hand, then it was the blond and spiky hair, and then the purest and alluring sapphire-blue orbs she had fallen for.

"Hey guys!" was the first thing Naruto said with a small wave, but Hinata's mind registered nothing; her pale eyes were locked with the boy she had missed so much…no, her eyes were locked with the young _man_ she had grew up to love.

"Naruto, do you even know how much I want to punch you right now?" Sakura asked suddenly before someone else could utter a word, and the blonde immediately raised his hands in defence. "You're such an idiot!"

"It's nice to see you too, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, but the pink haired girl simply twitched before advancing towards him, her hands closed into fists on her side. "Now, wait a minute, you don't want to beat the crap out of me now, do you?"

"Oh, but that's exactly what I want to do, sadly we have better things to do, and we _do_ need you conscious, so I'll just do this…" Sakura trailed off, and when she reached the boy's side, she smacked him on the head, and did not even bother to be any gentle while doing it either.

As she watched Naruto trying to defend himself from Sakura's blows, Hinata could not help but press her hand even harder against her chest. It was amazing how no one seemed to hear her heart beating so furiously against her rib cage, and how no one had noticed how her legs had started to quiver since they now resembled to butter.

"Hinata." a calm and controlled voice spoke, and the Hyuuga heir looked to her side only to see Shino standing there, hands on his jacket's pockets. "Breathe deeply, and try to calm down. This isn't the time to faint, and you definitely don't want suspicion to grow, right?"

"Y-Yes," Hinata stuttered in agreement, but there was no evidence at all that Shino's facial expression had changed. He still looked as stoic as ever, but Hinata knew that that was his nature. So, silently, Hinata did what her team mate advised her to, and with a deep breath, she focused her attention on Naruto again.

Oh, she just hoped that this time she could prove him that although she had changed, and she would do that by revealing her feelings for him. Hinata just hoped that that was not easier to say than done, because she honestly did not know for how long she would be able to behave as if there was nothing wrong. And Hinata also hoped that on the day she would open up entirely to Naruto, she would not end up stuttering and fainting as usual.

"Alright people, listen up!" Kakashi started as he walked through the open door of the office, close followed by Baki and Mesi. "Most of you are not aware of what's going on, but we seriously have no time to explain. Since we have three teams here, we are going to divide you into two groups. All of you have the same goal, however, which is to find the person who attacked Sunagakure."

"You are not allowed to engage into any fight whatsoever, unless your life is in danger." Baki continued, in his authoritarian tone, "Whoever attacked Suna took a child with him, and the child is our main concern at the moment. Also, since there are more experienced Jounin present, two of them will go with you."

"We are going to keep contact in two ways, nose and eyes." Mesi clarified as she appeared in the middle of Kakashi and Baki. "We are going to use Kakashi's dogs, and my birds, and make sure everyone is noticed on the same second we find the opponent. We don't want anyone to play the hero, so don't you even dare to think about it."

"Mesi and I are the ones who are going to assist you in this mission, while Baki stays here to inform Konohagakure about our steps." Kakashi resumed, his hands stuffed into his pockets. "So, let's just stop wasting time, and gather up because I'm only going to say this once."

* * *

It was absolutely amazing how everyone was always so ready to put their lives at risk if that meant saving someone who needed help. No questions were asked, no speculations were made; all they wanted was to departure as soon as possible, only making sure that they had a way to communicate all the time, and that there were no objections.

Due to everybody's determination, Kakashi and Mesi had lost no time in dividing the teams into two groups, while informing that they would be the leaders, and that no one should go against their orders. For some unknown reason, Mesi had been instructed to keep an eye on both Naruto and Gaara, despite of the general belief that Kakashi would be the best choice to keep the two boys in their rightful places.

And so, exactly one hour after the meeting, the two groups went their different ways, after leaving promises that they would be careful. Promises of meeting up again in less than one week had also been left hanging in the air, while both Temari and Kankurou cursed the fact Baki refused to let them go with the Leaf ninja.

And now, there they were, following Akamaru and Kiba while Mesi's Northern Hobby was crossing the skies. It was obvious that Naruto was anxious about finding the kidnapper that had taken the child, but Hana could not help but worry about Mairi. The medical-nin from Kirigakure was simply too quiet, although agony was clear in her eyes, but still Hana could say that Mairi was only following them because Gaara was next to her.

In silence, Hana glanced at the rest of her team; Mesi was beside Kiba, at the front, talking to him about the scent they were following, while Hinata and Naruto followed them closely, too focused on the task in hand to talk. Next to her was Shikamaru, too lost in thoughts and plans to wonder about what could happen next, and behind them were Gaara and Mairi.

The tension was almost palpable, and the anxiety of finding Maiko was growing at each moment. In fact, Hana was worried about what could happen if they were the ones to find the kidnapper; Naruto looked more than ready to snap someone's neck, and even though Hana had heard that Gaara was naturally silent, the boy's silence was perturbing Hana as well.

Sure Mesi was there with them, and she did seem to have a pulse of iron, but Naruto was definitely known for his impulsiveness, and everyone else seemed ready for a fight so Hana was not entirely sure that Mesi would be able to hold them. Oh, she just hoped that when time came, they would all think about the safety of the child first instead of attacking their enemy head on.

"Something's off." Kiba spoke suddenly, a frown on his face as he leaped towards another branch. "The scent is stronger here, and that wasn't supposed to happen, especially since the kidnapper left hours ago."

"Does the scent have any particularity?" Mesi questioned, as she stared at Kiba before glancing at the sky, and spot her Northern Hobby flying just ahead of them, and Kiba took a deep breath while Akamaru growled.

"Clay." Kiba finally answered, before focusing his attention on Mesi, "It smells like clay, and there's this scent of freegia… It's such an odd mixture in my opinion…"

"Maiko…" Mairi spoke suddenly, and everyone looked at her over their shoulders, "Maiko's favourite flower is freegia…"

"Well, it is possible to sense her scent." Mesi started, as she looked from Mairi to Kiba, "We're going to stick to this scent. Is it getting stronger?"

"Yes, definitely," Kiba answered at same time Akamaru barked, "But it's weird to be sensing the scent _this_ strong. Everyone said that the kidnapper was on top of some kind of bird and that would allow him to go faster than this."

"He wants us to follow him." Mesi pointed out suddenly, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced at her falcon again, and Kiba blinked. "For some reason he not only wants us to track him down, but also to find him. This is more likely to be a trap."

"W-What should we do?" Hinata asked, and Mesi looked over her shoulder, her eyes glancing at all the members of the group.

"Hinata, I want you to use your Byakugan, and tell me about everything you can see. Naruto, don't leave her side; if something happens, I want you to protect her, and no matter what _don't_ leave Hinata alone." Mesi started, and despite of the situation, Hinata could not help but look away while Naruto nodded in agreement. "Mairi, I want you to be next to Hana while Shikamaru and Gaara watch your back. This way, we'll have a lazy genius to come up with a plan in seconds while Gaara protects him. Any questions?"

"Yeah, what are we supposed to do when we find the kidnapper?" Naruto asked, and Mesi looked at him before winking.

"We'll kick his ass, of course."

* * *

There was a loud crash, and for a moment the whole building shook, everybody's heads turning to the ceiling in surprise. When everything calmed down, all ninja resumed to their own chores, but they glanced at Shizune when a female name shouted her name in anger. With a sigh, the Hokage's assistant put the papers she had been holding on a desk before instructing a ninja to watch over the small pile.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune questioned as she walked inside the office, and quickly closed the door behind her. At least this time, Tsunade had punched the wall on the right side of the office, creating enormous fissures; last time, the Hokage had stomped her foot on the floor, creating a huge hole. That, not to mention the two ninja that had been rushed to the hospital for being on the room right under the office… "What happened?"

"Where the _hell_ are the reports?" Tsunade hissed as she looked away from the window, her hands crossed against her chest. "Where the hell are they? And where the hell is Jiraiya?"

"We don't have any reports, Tsunade-sama, but last message we received indicated that the teams are now in Sunagakure." Shizune started, "Perhaps they're still there. As for Jiraiya-sama, I'm sorry, but I don't know where he is."

"That damn pervert." Tsunade hissed under her breath before sitting down on her chair, and turn to Shizune again. "I need sake! And I need to know if we have any clues about how Sasuke managed to escape, and to where he went."

"ANBU said they would keep us informed, but they still have no explanation for what happened." Shizune started, as she walked towards the desk. "They say that Sasuke perhaps used a jutsu to escape, but truth is that none of his known jutsus would allow him to fade into the shadows or permit him to escape from prison without him being spotted."

"I don't want any other theory or doubt, I want answers!" Tsunade demanded before entwining her fingers in front of her chin, "I want you to go help in the searches with your team, and I want Ibiki to get ready. I want all suspects to be interrogated, and torture will be allowed if there's no other way."

"Torture, Tsunade-sama?"

"I won't take any more risks, Shizune." Tsunade started, in a deadly serious tone, a dark expression on her face. "Konohagakure is considerate one of the strongest villages, and I refuse to allow one person to jeopardize our village. Torture will be the last resort, but it's still an option."

"I understand." Shizune whispered, and Tsunade took a deep breath before turning to her side, still sitting on the chair, and look through the window. "Want me to ask someone to go look for Jiraiya-sama?"

"Yes, I want that idiot here in less than one hour." Tsunade answered, without looking away from the window. "This is not the time to have perverted tendencies, and Jiraiya knows that. He knows I need his support."

At those words, Shizune entitled her head to the side slightly; had the Hokage just admitted she needed the support of the biggest pervert ever? Hmmm, now that was unexpected. However, Shizune knew that that was not the best time for her to question Tsunade about her confession, and in silence she nodded.

"I'll ask for someone to go search for Jiraiya, and then I'll go look for Sasuke." Shizune said, and Tsunade glanced at her by the corner of her eyes, "Just make sure you stay away from troubles, Tsunade-sama."

"I believe I know exactly what I'm doing, Shizune." the Hokage stated, but Shizune was unable to restrain herself from glancing at the damaged wall for a moment. "The wall was just the perfect way for me to get rid of some stress."

"I'll be leaving now, Tsunade-sama." Shizune answered, and with after a short bow, she left the office, leaving the Hokage all alone with silence as a companion.

As she rested her chin against her hand, Tsunade gazed through the windows again, and narrowed her eyes slightly; it was time to prove to everyone that the country of Fire was the most powerful nation, and she would be damned if someone like Sasuke managed to do something against the village.

There was only one thing to do first, though.

"What are you planning, Uchiha Sasuke?" Tsunade whispered to herself, her eyes locked with the clouds on the sky, words escaping from her lips in a whisper.

On the meantime, Sasuke and his two team mates were wandering through the forest without uttering a word. Silence was a part of the agreement they had made, and the trio knew better than speaking when it was not required.

Suddenly, Senko stopped her tracks, and both Sasuke and Suki looked at her, not understanding what had happened. The amethyst-purple haired girl, however, just kept standing on the same spot, the cloth around her eyes making it impossible to understand what was troubling her.

"Tired already?" Suki asked, her right hand cuddling the head of the black panther next to her, but Senko kept quiet while Sasuke turned to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a neutral tone, and suddenly Senko turned her head to her right. "Do you sense anything?"

"Eight ninja are coming this way." Senko finally confessed, and while Sasuke glanced to the same direction as Senko, Suki tensed up slightly. "The males are very strong, their auras are remarkable, and there's a girl who seems to be physically powerful as well."

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Suki questioned, and Sasuke looked away from the trees, an impassive mask still on his face.

"These are not the rabbits we're looking for," he started, "It's more likely for them to sense us, but I'm not really in the mood for a conflict, so let's go."

"Why is it that you always run away from a fight?" Suki questioned, but when Sasuke's eyes turned to her, she rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine, you're the leader."

"Wait." Senko spoke suddenly, right when both Sasuke and Suki were about to start moving, and the two of them looked at her again. "Someone else is coming in our direction. From there." she added, appointing to the path ahead of them. "He has an amazing aura."

"Who is he?" Suki asked, but the sound of wings made her look up, "Yeah, someone's definitely getting closer. Damn it, Senko, I thought we had told you to inform us with enough time for us to get away unseen."

"Sorry." Senko apologized, though she did not sound sorry at all, and Suki growled at her team mate while Sasuke kept staring at the sky, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Then, before someone could say a thing, a strange looking bird emerged from behind some trees, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw who it was.

"Hide." Sasuke ordered suddenly, and both Senko and Suki looked at him before nodding, and immediately hide themselves in the shadows of the forest. Sasuke, on the other hand, stood on the same spot, watching the bird coming down.

"Well, well, well, look at what we have here. Hmm." the blond man started, with a smirk on his face. "Uchiha Sasuke, I thought you would be dead by now. What brings you to this side of the country?"

"Deidara," Sasuke acknowledge before noticing the small pair of feet that were coming out from the bird's beak. "Why don't you leave whoever you have there, here, and go tell Orochimaru something for me? You can tell it to Itachi if you prefer."

"I ain't a messenger, and I definitely have nothing to tell Orochimaru, hmm." Deidara started, "As for my victim, I apology, but I kind of need her to be my bait. You see, we're trying to kill your ex-best friend."

No emotion crossed Sasuke's face as he kept staring at the blonde in silence.

"You tell Uchiha Itachi," Sasuke started, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword, "that after I kill Orochimaru, I'll go after him."

"Interesting ambition for someone who loves to talk, hmm," Deidara pointed out, the smirk still on his face, but it was with a blink that he saw the beak of his bird fall off, and a _click_ forced him to notice Sasuke putting his sword back to its sheath. "You're seriously looking for trouble, hmm?"

"Just make sure you deliver it." Sasuke answered back, and Deidara chuckled while his bird started going up again, leaving the beak and the victim behind. When Deidara disappeared, both Suki and Senko reappeared from their hiding place.

"It's a child." Senko pointed out as she walked to the beak, and opened it. In silence, she put a hand inside, and felt long locks of hair before touching the cold cheeks. "Are we going to leave her here?"

"The team you sensed is close, they'll find her." Sasuke answered, without any feeling on his voice. "Now, let's go; we have a new plan, and a new rabbit to find."

"And does this rabbit have a name?" Suki questioned as she stepped beside Sasuke, who glanced at her by the corner of his eyes before looking at the clear sky above.

"Uzumaki Naruto."

**To Be Continued…**


	18. Secrets in the Sun

**Disclaimer:** Everything here belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

I want to thank **sallyluv16**, **Chronostorm**, **DanteHyuuga**, **Silvan Arrow**, **saltndpepper**, **SGCred**, **Terenin**, **Mae-ta**, **GaaraRoxmySox** _and_ **ElementalDarkness** for everything! You guys rock my world (hehe). Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_Secrets in the Sun_

Everyone was growing nervous, despite of the silence. Everyone was growing worried, regardless of the emotionless masks on their faces. Everyone was thinking about one ninja of their village, even though their thoughts appeared to be taking their minds elsewhere.

With a sigh, Kakashi looked at the young ninja that were following him. He knew that some of them were wondering about what would happen from that moment on, but Kakashi also knew that there was no time to contemplate about the future.

On that moment, during that mission, there was no past, there was no tomorrow. There was only the present, and what could happen during those hours they still had left. There was only one thing worrying Kakashi, and that had to do with the other team.

"Kakashi," Pakkun called out, and Kakashi gazed down at him, "I think we have a problem in our hands. I'm sensing the child's scent, but I'm also sensing _him_. And I don't think you want them to face him now, right?"

At those words, Kakashi looked at the members of his team, and mentally sighed. Pakkun was right; their mission was to find Maiko, and not to engage into a fight. He knew that they would have to think of something to do straight away, because there was the possibility of Neji deciding to use his Byakugan, and if he did it…well, Maiko would definitely be the least of their worries.

Especially since Sakura was on his team.

"We can't risk meeting him now," Kakashi started, as he focused his attention back on Pakkun, who was looking back at him, "Ignore his scent. We have to find Maiko first, and reunite with Mesi's team again."

"I understand, but…"

"Just make sure we don't cross his path for now." Kakashi said, "I just have to find a way of warning Konohagakure about what's going on here, without anyone noticing."

"Now that's going to be hard." Pakkun commented, but Kakashi said nothing as he started thinking about a way of warning Konoha about Sasuke being in the area. It was going to be extremely complicated to send a message without someone seeing it, and Kakashi definitely did not want anyone to sense Sasuke's presence there.

"Kakashi-sensei," female voice called-out, and Kakashi snapped from his thoughts only to see Sakura next to him, a slightly annoyed mask on her face, "there's something troubling me. I have the feeling someone's watching us."

"I'm sure that if someone was indeed watching us, Pakkun would have picked his scent by now." Kakashi started in a calm tone, but Sakura continued looking ahead, her eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't worry about it; our main goal right now is to find the child."

"Why don't you ask Neji to look around the area with his Byakugan?" Sakura asked, behaving as if she had not heard a word, and Kakashi mentally sighed; she sure was persistent sometimes. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt to be cautious."

"Sakura, I already told you; everything's alright." Kakashi answered before smiling slightly in reassurance, when Sakura glanced at him. "Trust me, alright?"

"Kakashi-sensei is right, Sakura-san, if he says everything's alright, it's our job to believe in him." Lee spoke suddenly, making both Kakashi and Sakura to look at him over their shoulders. "Let's try to find Maiko, alright?"

"But it seems as if…" Sakura trailed off as she allowed Lee to appear next to her, while Kakashi increased his speed slightly to go ahead of the group with Pakkun, "Sasuke-kun…"

At the whispered name, Lee widened his eyes slightly in surprise before looking away; it was always about Sasuke. It seemed as if everything that was on Sakura's mind was connected with the Uchiha even when for the rest of the world there was no connection between the topic and Sasuke. Yes, Sakura always managed to find a way to think about the missing-nin, and despite of everything, Lee could not help but feel a pang of sadness and jealousy run through his body.

And yet he revealed nothing. Lee simply refused to allow someone to notice how Sakura's behaviour affected him, even though sometimes Lee had the feeling that everyone from Team Gai was already aware of his internal struggle.

"Sakura-san," Lee started after a short period of silence, and the pink haired girl looked at him in surprise, and Lee found himself offering her a comforting smile, "even if it was Sasuke who you sensed, then I promise we'll look for him after we find Maiko, alright? Just don't be sad."

"…Yes." Sakura replied after blinking in surprise, and Lee offered her the 'nice guy pose' before jumping towards another branch. However, while he was smiling on the outside, on the inside Lee could not help but wonder why Sasuke was always the one to have all of the attention when he was the one supporting Sakura through thick and thin.

"Ink…" Pakkun stated suddenly, and Kakashi sent him a confused look, "The wind is carrying the scent of ink and wood…"

"Ink and wood?" Kakashi repeated, but he was forced to jump to a branch located just over his head when three kunai were sent on his direction. Everyone else immediately took cover in various branches, while Kakashi stood up straight on his own branch. "Ah yes, ink and wood, of course."

"Nice to see you still have your senses sharp." a male voice commented suddenly, and while Kakashi sighed, everyone else blinked in confusion.

"It's nice to see you still do your grand entrances." Kakashi retorted, and a man no older than Kakashi stepped from behind a tree, quickly followed by a boy with black hair. "It's nice to see you, Yamato. You too, Sai. What brings you to this side of the village?"

"Nothing much, just hunting some partridges." Yamato answered, "What about you? Some time ago I crossed with a _certain_ kunoichi; are you the reason why she decided to show up from out of nowhere?"

"Well, we are all after the same thing." Kakashi answered, recalling what Mesi had told him about being after Akatsuki. "But right now we're trying to find a girl that was kidnapped. Can you help us?"

"Ah, so you're after a very big partridge." Yamato commented before smirking, "Perhaps we can be of some help."

* * *

"You people have to be kidding me!" Naruto shouted before raising his hands in front of his face, "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

"Hinata, next time there's an attack, remember to warns us sooner!" Kiba complained as he punched a ninja on the stomach, Akamaru protecting his back. Hinata, who was using her _Jūken _to damage her opponent's chakra circulatory system, nodded in agreement, her Byakugan still activated.

"_Sabaku Kyuu_!" Gaara exclaimed suddenly, and his opponent was immediately captured and immobilized by sand, but when he was about to utter something else, Mairi rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Please, don't kill him." the girl whispered, and Gaara looked at her before gazing at his captured enemy. "Gaara, please…"

"_Sabaku__Sōsō_." Gaara uttered in a deadly serious tone, and a cry of pain and anguish echoed through the whole forest. Mairi, on the other hand, looked away when the sound of bones being crushed followed the howl of pain, while Gaara appeared to be completely at easy with what was going on.

"Mizu Hogo…" Hana muttered, and a bright colour surrounded Shikamaru, and moments later a shield made of water was surrounding the boy. And right on time too, since two kunais were suddenly thrown at Shikamaru, who was too focused avoiding the attack from another ninja to see the flying weapons.

"Man, no one ever said something about this mission becoming so troublesome." Shikamaru stated tiredly before glancing at Hana, and smile faintly at her in a silence thanks.

"Shikamaru is right, we can't lose time!" Mesi shouted before raising her kunai in front of her head to stop her opponent's from hitting her, and then she kicked the ninja on his side, throwing him to the ground. "We have to find the child. Naruto, stop wasting precious time, and take Hinata, Gaara and Mairi with you!"

"There's no way I'm going to leave you with all the fun!" Naruto said before flipping backwards to avoid three flying kunais, and then he narrowed his eyes. "Alright, now I'm pissed off! Guys, let's go!"

"Naruto!" Mesi shouted in annoyance, but the boy ignored her as he and his clones approached his adversary, and one of the Narutos kicked the opponent high in the air. Then, as the adversary started falling, all Narutos jumped into the air, and the first clone appeared beside the ninja before kicking him.

"U!"

"Zu!"

"Ma!"

"Ki!"

"_Naruto Rendan!"_ the real Naruto screamed as he emerged in front of the already extremely injured shinobi, and quickly kicked him from above, sending the wounded ninja to the ground.

As they started falling down, one by one all the Naruto clones disappeared in clouds of smoke while real Naruto fell on the ground, on his right knee. Then, he smirked at his victory when he saw his opponent lying unconscious on the ground.

"Naruto, stop showing off, and go!" Mesi shouted, not bothering to hide her irritation, and with a small cry she elbowed her adversary on the stomach, "Gaara, you'll be in charge while we don't reunite. Make sure you find the bastard that kidnapped the girl, and you better wait for us when you do."

"Yeah man, stop showing off," Shikamaru muttered before noticing that Hana was having problems dealing with her own opponent, and he raised his hands in front of him. "_Kagemane no Jutsu_."

"Thank you." Hana whispered as she run to the boy's side, who kept staring at his enemy, but he blinked in surprise when Akamaru appeared from out-of-nowhere, and jumped to the opponent's back. As he understood what the dog wanted to do, Shikamaru ended his jutsu, making his shadow disappear, consequently allowing his adversary to fall on the ground, since Akamaru was now sitting on his back.

"Naruto-kun, let's go." Hinata said as she moved closer to the blond, and after glancing at Mesi, who was too busy holding the opponents back, he nodded. Without uttering a word, both Hinata and Naruto jumped to the closest branches, Gaara and Mairi following them moments later.

"They better stay safe." Naruto said as he looked over his shoulder in an attempt to see his group, but that ended up being impossible due to all the trees. "They better catch us up in no time."

"I don't think Mesi-san is the type of person who breaks promises." Hinata said suddenly, and Naruto glanced at her only to see her go red at same time she looked away from him. "I'm sure they'll be fine."

"They better," Naruto hissed rather darkly, and unconsciously he clenched his hands into strong fists, "I'm tired of having people hunting me down, and now that I actually have the opportunity to be the hunter, I'm doing a great job ruining everything."

"You're not ruining everything, Naruto-kun." Hinata said in her low tone, and Naruto glanced at her again only to see her looking shyly at him. "This is a mission; it's our job to make sure everything ends well, even if we face many challenges in the middle. I…I think we should just focus in trying to find Maiko."

"Yeah, you're right; she's our priority number one." Naruto agreed before looking over his shoulder at Mairi, who was next to Gaara. "I'll be damned if I'm forced to break another promise."

"We'll all do our best." Hinata said, and Naruto looked slightly surprised at her when he noticed the hint of determination in her usual gentle tone of voice. "And I'll do my best to help you to keep true to your word. _Byakugan!_"

"Thank you, Hinata." Naruto thanked, not really sure of what to say, but the corner of his lips curled up into a ghost of a smile when he saw Hinata smile shyly at his words, a soft rose shade on her pale cheeks. Then, Naruto looked over his shoulder, "C'mon guys, let's go find the bastard!"

"I wouldn't be too worried if I were you." Gaara spoke suddenly, and Mairi snapped from her thoughts to look at him, "This is Uzumaki Naruto, and he promised he would take care of you and your sister."

"I…thank you." Mairi said in a soft voice, and Gaara glanced at her by the corner of his eyes before nodding. "You and Naruto have been really nice although my sister and I…"

"He considers the two of you as his friends." Gaara interrupted suddenly, and Mairi glanced at Naruto's back at the words, "And he'll do everything within his power to make sure your sister returns safely."

At those words, Mairi pressed a hand against her chest, her eyes still locked with Naruto's form. For some reason, Gaara's words were like a caress against her worry and nervousness, and that same caress seemed to have enough power to make Mairi believe that perhaps Naruto was the hope she needed.

* * *

For her, the plan was simply bizarre, and made absolutely no sense. She did her best to understand his reasons, but at same time, those same reasons did not seem enough for her anymore. Once in her life, his words had been sacred, that was true, and she was not going to deny it, but after four years, she could now confess that her goals were no longer the same.

He wanted revenge; Suki wanted…something Senko knew that would be safer not to know, and all she wanted was to….

Silently, Senko raised her head up, allowing the wind to blow her hair away from her face, and then she took a deep breath. When was the last time she had been able to look at the sky? Or the last time she had been able to watch water streaming down a waterfall? Oh, too much time had been lost…

She had waited for so long, and now that someone had actually accepted to help her, she chose the wrong path. Perhaps it was too late to go back now, perhaps now it was too late to change the way of life she had chosen for herself, but maybe she could try to amend her future just a little.

"Sasuke," Senko called-out before she could stop herself, and she sensed her team mates glancing at her, "I was thinking; my presence isn't really necessary here, so what do you say about me being more useful by doing something else?"

"Your point being what exactly?" Suki asked, and Senko felt the girl's panther stop in front of her, "Don't tell me you're going to chicken out now."

"No, I said I was going to help you, and I'm going to stick to that." Senko said with a small shake of her head, "I was just thinking that since our main targets are Orochimaru and Uzumaki Naruto then perhaps it would be an intelligent move if one of us went to Konoha, and since I was supposed to go there on the first place…"

"Do you really think you can work as a spy?" Suki questioned suddenly, and Senko sensed her moving closer, "I mean, how can we be sure you're not going there just because of what the Godaime promised you?"

"Because that's what will allow me to enter in Konoha." Senko pointed out, "They are expecting me, and it would be rather strange if I didn't show up. The surgical operation may take some time, but I'm sure it will be enough for me to figure out what they are planning to do about Sasuke."

"And Akatsuki." Sasuke deadpanned, and Senko turned to him before nodding in agreement, "Very well, you may go, but I want reports back every two days. You know what to do to contact me."

"What? You can't possibly be serious!" Suki exclaimed suddenly, "I mean, sure she would be of little help if she stayed with us, but how can you be so sure she won't betray us on the second she gets her sight back?"

"Suki, I'm not going to betray Sasuke." Senko stated, "There's a lot at stake, and I'm aware of it. So, stop behaving as if you're not going to enjoy being alone with Sasuke."

"Say _what?_" Suki asked, obviously taken off guard, but while Senko managed to stop herself from smirking, Sasuke's face continued blank of any emotion. "Why, I ought to…"

"If you want to arrive to Konoha before midnight, you better go now." Sasuke spoke suddenly, and Senko focused her attention on him again, "Get all the details if possible, and be careful with whom you talk to. People from Konohagakure don't need much to be suspicious."

"I'll keep that in mind." Senko answered, but suddenly she heard a blade leave its sheath, and she tensed up. Her nervousness, though, did not disappear as she sensed Sasuke approaching the unconscious girl. "What are you planning to do now?"

"Rabbits need to feel safe in order to come out," Sasuke explained as he knelt next to the child, holding the hilt of his long sword with his right hand. "Either that, or they need a bait."

"You're going to use a child to get Uzumaki's attention?" Senko asked, but Sasuke did not look away from the child while Suki watched him in silent curiosity. "Sasuke…"

"There's no better way to make the scared-cat become a jumpy fox." the boy commented, his lips now curled up into a smirk, and Senko tensed up again as she felt him move even closer to the child.

And then she questioned herself about what fate truly had in store for all of them.

**To Be Continued…**


	19. Shadowy Pathway

**Disclaimer:** _Naruto_ belongs to **Masashi Kishimoto**. I only own my own characters and the plot of this fic. Nothing else is mine.

* * *

Ahh, it took ages to write this chapter, and now that I actually did it, I have to admit that I think it sucks. I'm very sorry for taking so long, and for writing such a crappy chapter (bows in shame). You guys have been awesome with me, and you sure deserve something better than this. Unfortunately I cannot say when the next chapter will be up; it may take a while. I hope you guys forgive me, and once again, **I thank you all for your constant support and help**.

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**Chapter 18**

_Shadowy Pathway_

On that moment all she wanted was to kill something. Everybody in her village knew better than making her angry, because everyone knew that an irritated Hokage was not a pretty sight, especially when she did have the ability to smash a wall by using one finger. However, truth was that Tsunade was aware that she had already caused enough destruction due to her fury, so now, as she twitched in anger, Tsunade pictured herself strangling a certain white haired Sannin.

"Oi, Tsunade! You called?" a voice asked suddenly, and the Hokage crossed her arms against her chest as she chewed her lower lip in a desperate attempt to calm herself down instead of killing the man that had just entered in her office on the spot. "I'm very sorry, but I was wandering around and, well, girls are getting so hot nowadays…"

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade finally screamed, and she turned around more than ready to punch the man on the chin, but she was forced to stop when she noticed his expression. He had done a great job sounding carefree, but on contrary of his words, Jiraiya's face was solemn. "Where the hell have you been? We have work to do!"

"Sorry, Tsunade, I just had to take care of a few things." Jiraiya started, his arms resting on his sides, "And trust me, it didn't involved skirts." at that, Tsunade twitched, "I was just looking around, and I heard about Sasuke. And that's why I came to you. I think it's time for me to do something other than just wandering around through Konoha."

"What are you trying to say?" Tsunade asked, and Jiraiya crossed his arms against his chest, a frown on his face. "One of Kakashi's dogs has just delivered a message. Apparently, they are going after a possible opponent that kidnapped a child. Everybody is going, including Mesi. And unfortunately Kakashi also mentions that Pakkun sensed Sasuke close by."

"That can't be good." Jiraiya commented as he looked down, in thought. "But I guess that only supports my idea even more. Tsunade, it's time for me to go after Akatsuki. My sources reported that _they_ are moving again, and it seems that Sasuke isn't exactly the person they are looking for."

"You believe they are going after Naruto, and perhaps even Gaara, correct?" Tsunade inquired, and Jiraiya nodded slightly in reply. "Yes, that's my fear as well. Very well, you're allowed to go as soon as you want. Just make sure you report weekly, this time."

"Yes, I promise I'll do my best!" Jiraiya said with a smile, that Tsunade turned to her side before sitting down on her chair. "I just have to pack my things, and I'll be on my way."

"Jiraiya," Tsunade called out when the Sannin turned around, prepared to leave the room, and Jiraiya glanced at her over his shoulder. For a moment the two of them just stared at each other until Tsunade rested her elbows on the desk, her fingers entwined in front of her chin. "Make sure you don't die on me. I…I don't want to be alone anymore, and even though we're constantly biting each other's head, you're the only family I have."

"Don't worry; I'll be back in no time." Jiraiya answered with a wide smile, but Tsunade continued looking at him with a serious expression. "Just make sure you can hold the fort while I'm gone, and try not to smash any more walls."

"Idiot," Tsunade whispered, but Jiraiya simply waved at her before walking out of the office, closing the door behind him. When she was finally alone, Tsunade turned around on the chair so that she could look through the windows behind her, and then she sighed; it was in times like those when she cursed the fact she was the Hokage…

On the meantime, Kakashi and Yamato were standing apart from the rest of the group, both looking extremely serious as continued to talk in hushed tones. The rest of the group, however, was enjoying the pause more than they wanted to show. The only thing that stopped them from talking at easy and from taking complete profit of that break was a certain black haired boy.

"Oh my, he's so hot, but his smile freaks me out." Ino whispered suddenly, and Sakura gazed at her in confusion only to notice that the blonde was staring at non-other than Sai himself. The boy was leaning against a tree, staring at the sky with a smile on his lips. When Kakashi and Yamato had walked away, Sai had tried to talk to them, but since Neji and Tenten had kept quiet while Chouji had been too busy eating and Lee doing some workout, Sai had quickly dropped that idea.

The last thing he had tried to do was to bind with Ino, who had immediately blushed before excusing herself. Sakura had indeed been surprised by the Ino's behaviour, not really believing she had left a hot boy alone, but now, after hearing those words, Sakura could not help but shake her head.

"So, you heard about it as well?" Yamato questioned, and Kakashi nodded as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"I think most people heard about Sasuke wanting to kill Orochimaru first before going after Itachi." the silver haired Jounin started, "It's a very complicated situation, and Tsunade-sama is trying her best to find Sasuke before he does something foolish."

"It seems like we have a dog chasing a cat, and a cat chasing a mouse." Yamato commented suddenly, his right hand on his hip. "Sai and I were indeed searching for some clues before we headed back to Konoha, but it seems as if this mission was fruitless."

"Even if we don't have anything to report, we still need to try to do something." Kakashi started, and Yamato glanced at the rest of the group before looking at him. "I'd like to send a message to Tsunade-sama saying that we're going after Sasuke, but we must find the child first."

"Understandable, Sai and I will keep an open eye. If something happens, I'll report back to the Hokage, and I'll send you a message as well." Yamato said with a short nod, and the two adults looked at the group of teenagers not too far from them. "The girl in pink is Haruno Sakura, correct?"

"Yes, and at the moment she's the one who worries me the most." Kakashi answered as he rested his hands on his pants pockets, "She even commented that she had sensed someone watching us. Pakkun had informed me that Sasuke was around. If she finds out that I'm trying to stop her from noticing that Sasuke is this close to us…"

"Well, I'm sure you'll know what to do if that happens." Yamato interrupted suddenly, and Kakashi sighed as he stared tiredly at Sakura, who was still chatting with Ino. "Well, we shall waste no more time in here. You're wasting precious minutes, and I'm sure a certain kunoichi won't like to hear that."

"Don't remind me." Kakashi mumbled as an image of an infuriated Mesi popped in his mind. "I seriously don't want to think about that at the moment." at that, Yamato smiled faintly. "But yes, it's time for us to move out."

"I hope you can rescue the child soon." Yamato said, and Kakashi nodded. Then, in silence, the two of them walked towards the group of young adults, and informed them that break time was over, and that it was time for them to return to their missions.

* * *

They were moving at full speed, trying desperately to find any clues that could lead them to the kidnapper. Unfortunately, so far they had found nothing, and not even Hinata's _Byakugan _was being much of a help. Hinata, however, refused to deactivate it, and thus she continued to struggle to find something that could boost up the fading flame of hope inside all of them.

"Hinata, can't you see anything?" Naruto finally dared to ask, and the Hyuuga heiress shook her head at same time she sighed. At her reaction, Naruto looked over his shoulder at Mairi and Gaara, and clenched his hands into tight fists. "I'm sure we're going to find something soon."

"I'm…I'm just worried they may end up doing something to Maiko." Mairi finally confessed as she looked back at Naruto. "If something happens to her, I'll never forgive myself. And my parents….they'll be so disappointed…and angry…"

"I'm sure something is bond to happen soon." Naruto started, in an attempt to encourage the stressed medical. "Besides, Hinata's with us, and we couldn't ask for someone better than her. And she has _Byakugan _too, which is definitely a plus when we need to find someone."

"…He's right." Gaara finally decided to say, his face emotionless as ever, and Mairi glanced at him. "We will find your sister."

Suddenly, Hinata gasped, and everybody stared at her in time to see her eyes widening in horror. For a moment all of them were afraid of asking about what she could possibly be seeing, mostly because they feared it had something to do with Maiko.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" Naruto decided to ask, an unsure tone on his voice, and Hinata slowly turned to him, horror still all over her face. "Is it Maiko? Did you see her? Did you see the kidnapper?"

"A-A slaughter…" Hinata finally stuttered, and the three other ninja blinked at her reply. "T-There's a group just ahead of us, they…everyone is scattered around, on the ground, and there's blood everywhere, but…I didn't see Maiko or the kidnapper around."

"Let's check it out." Naruto said without any delay, "Maiko is our priority, but our duty as ninja is to check the wounded. If someone's alive, it's our duty to help them. What do you guys say?"

"It's my obligation as a medical-nin…" Mairi said in a soft tone while Gaara nodded, and after a couple of seconds in silence, Naruto turned to Hinata, and asked for her to lead them towards the said group.

It did not take long for the four ninja to arrive to the spot that Hinata had described to them, and all of them could not help but stare in shock at the scenery. Whatever had attacked that group had been vicious and sadistic. Bodies were scattered everywhere, all of them with deep wounds, and blood covering their skin. There were no children there, but the brutality of the attack was more than enough to freeze up some uneasy hearts.

"Start looking for survivors…" Naruto managed to mutter in a low tone, and his friends immediately scattered around, silently observing the corpses as they went. Naruto was about to move to the closest body when his eyes caught three marks on the tree in front of him. It was a strange mark; Naruto had to admit, almost as if it had been done by claws…

As he reached out to touch the spot on the tree, Naruto run three fingers though the mark, and admitted that someone or something had scratched that trunk. If it had been deliberately or not, Naruto did not know, but he guessed that mark had probably been made when the person or animal had failed an attack.

"Mairi!" Hinata called-out suddenly, and Naruto twirled around only to see the Hyuuga heiress kneeling next to a girl, who was lying on her stomach. Without any delay, the medical rushed to her side, asking what was wrong. "I-I think she's alive!"

"We cannot stay here for long." Gaara spoke suddenly as he appeared next to Naruto, his arms pressed against his chest. "Every second we waste here, is a second we could be using to find the child."

"Yeah, I know, but as ninja it's our duty to check if there are any survivors." Naruto answered with a quick nod at same time Mairi continued checking the girl Hinata had found, and informed them that she was indeed alive. "I know Mairi probably just wants to leave everything, and go after her sister, but this was a decision we had to make."

"Please, help me to turn her around." Mairi told Hinata as she grasped the unconscious girl's shoulders, and Hinata nodded. "I think I can take care of most of her wounds here, but I think she may have dislocated her shoulder, and her right leg definitely requires special attention."

"What can I do?" Hinata asked, and while Mairi told her what she needed, both Naruto and Gaara continued searching for other survivors. Unfortunately, it did not take more than a few minutes for the two boys to confess that there was no one else alive.

"What should we do now?" Naruto asked as he and Gaara approached the three girls, "Mairi may be a medical-nin, but this girl should go to a hospital or something."

"I'm afraid he's correct, I can take care of most of her wounds, but with her dislocated shoulder, it wouldn't be wise to leave her alone." Mairi agreed as she started healing a deep gash on the girl's left arm.

"What's that?" Naruto asked as he pointed at the black cloth that was hiding the girl's eyes, and Mairi glanced at it before shrugging while Hinata observed the rest of the girl's wounds. "You think she may be blind or something?"

"Perhaps, but I need to check her eyes before saying anything." Mairi said without looking away from the wound she was healing, and this time it was Gaara who spoke.

"You have to make a choice." he started in his usual unemotional tone, and Mairi stopped what she was doing for a second. "We either go after the kidnapper, and save your sister, or we stay here, to take care of her."

"Gaara…" Naruto hissed in a warning tone, but when Mairi spoke, he focused his attention on her as well as Hinata.

"I want to go rescue my sister," the medical started before closing her eyes, "Heavens, all I want is to leave all this behind, find her, hug her, and never let her go of my sight, but… I don't know, as a medical-nin I…it's my job to take care of the wounded, and…heavens, I don't know…"

"Hey, I know!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly, and Mairi opened her eyes before turning to him, her eyes tearing up as she waited for something to be said. "Gaara, you and I will follow the bastard that took Maiko away. The others are probably on their way here, so there's nothing to lose."

"…Very well," Gaara agreed with a short nod, and Naruto beamed at him before glancing at Hinata, who nodded in agreement, and then at Mairi.

"It's settled then, you take care of that girl. I promise that when I return, Maiko will be with us." Naruto said, and Mairi open her mouth before closing her lips, and look down. "Well, let's stop wasting more time, and let's go."

Without saying anything else, both Naruto and Gaara jumped towards two different branches, and quickly disappeared from sight. As she felt her heart hammering against her rib cage, Mairi looked down at the unconscious girl before releasing the shaky breath she had not noticed she had been holding.

"Maiko…" she whispered, and Hinata looked at her before smiling faintly.

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun always keeps his promises." she started, and Mairi looked up at her, "And he won't return without Maiko. Please, trust in him."

While Mairi forced herself to believe that Naruto was indeed going to keep his word, Mesi and the others had already managed to get rid of their enemies. Since Kiba and Akamaru were with them, the group knew exactly where to go. Unfortunately, everybody had noticed the strange look on Kiba's face while Akamaru growled from time to time.

"What's wrong?" Mesi finally decided to ask, and the member of the Inuzuka clan glanced at her before taking a deep breath only to grunt in pure annoyance seconds later.

"It seems that a damn cat was on the neighbourhood along with a traitor." Kiba muttered, his eyes narrowing in anger, and Mesi stared at him before gazing at the sky. "The scent is annoying the crap out of me."

"From which way is the scent coming?" Mesi asked, and Kiba sighed.

"From the same direction where the others are," Kiba quickly summarized, and Mesi's frown deepened. "It's not as stronger though, so I have the feeling they were probably on the same spot some time ago."

"That's not good." Mesi muttered before looking behind her, at Hana and Shikamaru. "Hey you two, lets move faster. I don't really fancy the idea of leaving Naruto all alone, even though Gaara and the others are with him." then, she turned to Kiba, "How far are they?"

"I'd say we'll be there in less than ten minutes." Kiba replied, and he could swear he had heard Mesi asking herself about how Naruto and the others could have moved so fast in such short period of time. "But I don't think they found Maiko."

"You said you noticed the scent of a cat, what did you mean?" Mesi questioned, and Kiba grunted again. "Can you say what kind of a cat it was? Is it still around?"

"No, like I said, the scent isn't getting stronger as we move, so I guess the cat left some time ago." Kiba explained, and Mesi nodded, the frown still on her face, "And then there's the scent of the traitor…"

"Don't speak of him, that doesn't matter at the moment." Mesi interrupted, and Kiba sent her a slightly confused look. "We can't allow people to realise that Uchiha was around. We don't have the time to go after him, and I seriously don't feel like dealing with an enraged Naruto right now."

At that Kiba nodded in understanding, and minutes later the small team finally reached the spot where both Hinata and Mairi were. Even though she had noticed the bodies that were lying around on the ground, Mesi gazed around to try to find Naruto; when she did not see him, she closed her hands into fists.

"What on earth happened here?" Kiba asked as he appeared beside Hinata while Hana rushed to Mairi's side, and started asking about what she could do to help. Shikamaru, on the other hand, walked to Mesi's side, glancing around as he moved.

"Naruto isn't here." he pointed out, and the female Jounin nodded in silent agreement. "Do you think he and Gaara left to see if they could find the child?"

"It doesn't matter why they left; they have to return immediately." Mesi muttered, but her hushed sound indicated that she was talking to herself and not to Shikamaru. "We cannot afford losing more time just because they decided to be all hasty."

"Are you going to follow them?" Shikamaru asked, and Mesi glanced at him before shaking her head. "We should inform Kakashi-sensei about what's going on."

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_." Mesi said suddenly after making some hand seals, and slam her right hand against the ground, in front of her feet. With a blink, Shikamaru found himself staring at a flock of birds, all of them different from one another. The bird that caught his attention though, was the one who flew to Mesi's shoulder, and that had a patch on its right eye. "Asa, I want you to find Hatake, and tell him where we are. Tell him that my group had to split up, and that now Naruto and Gaara are gone. Inform him that the others will search for them."

With a short nod, the black and white falcon opened its wings, and flew away. When Mesi looked at the remaining seven birds, they all nodded, and moments later they had flown towards the sky before disappearing from sight. After a short period in silence, Shikamaru turned to Mesi, who was still gazing at the sky.

"Don't you think we should go after Naruto and Gaara?" he asked, and Mesi turned to him before shaking her head.

"We just need them back; alone they won't be able to track anyone down, much less a kidnapper that took the child in a bird." Mesi started, and Shikamaru blinked at her words. "We can only hope that Hatake actually finds something, and reports back."

"And if he doesn't?" Shikamaru asked, and Mesi looked behind her at Hinata, Mairi and Hana before sighing, and turn to the young Jounin again.

"Then we'll have to keep on walking the shadowy path."

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
